The Devil's Plan
by ruinedbyrob
Summary: Banned from Heaven for thinking himself above God, Lucifer bides his time searching for a way to gain his reentry into Heaven and taking the throne of God for himself. He has waited centuries for the one he needs to be born. The lives of Bella Swan and Edward Cullen are about to be changed forever, if they are not strong enough for the fight ahead, mankind will pay the price.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Welcome all to my new story. I'm very excited about this one as it delves into the supernatural world and I'm a bit of a supernatural h00r. There will be mature themes and mild angst sprinkled throughout and I'll post warnings for any chapters that may contain a trigger for some of you. The exploration and twisting of some religious soft spots take place in this fic, please read with an open mind. My end goal is for you to enjoy this story, so please feel free to PM me with any concerns you may have going forward. I won't give away plot points but I will be happy try to ease your worries.

This story is being pre-written. I plan to update every Sunday night as life allows.

I'm pleased to introduce my team; SazzleDazzled has joined Mullet86 as prereaders and Edwardsfirstkiss has taken on beta duty. The gorgeous banner was made by 2brown-eyes. They've all been an invaluable help to me and I'm forever grateful for their generosity in donating their time and talents to this cause.

 **Disclaimer:** Stephenie Meyers owns all character and original plot for Twilight. With her permission I've borrowed from her original and have written my own story. Please don't steal from me and we'll all get along.

* * *

 **The Devil's Plan**

 **Chapter 1**

 ** _It Begins_**

Amongst the screams and moans of the eternally damned, there sat a creature on a throne. The throne was quite ordinary and not at all what most people would associate with this specific monster. It wasn't made of gold or silver. There weren't precious jewels scattered about nor was the chair made from bones of the unfortunate that resided in this place as was depicted in most illustrations found in books, scrolls and other scripture like tomes around the world.

In fact, the only thing that made this chair special was the individual sitting upon it.

He's known by many names, but the most recognizable is, The Devil.

The Devil was not in a good mood. The truth is, he was almost never in a good mood. And today was no exception. The Devil, Satan, to his friends and Lucifer to his estranged father and winged brothers and sisters, was in the midst of a dilemma. He was unhappy with being the ruler of Hell and was currently working on a plan that would allow him to finally prove to his father and siblings what he'd always believed, humans were inferior souls and didn't deserve one iota of the love that his family bestowed upon them. If his plan worked, Satan would also bring about the end of days, filling his well of souls to near bursting would just be a bonus.

"Astarte!" He bellowed for his henchwoman. Her name had barely left his lips before she was standing before him.

It was good to be the king.

"You called my king?" Astarte asked, her blond head bowed in obedience.

"Yes. What progress have you and your brethren made?"

Astarte took a deep breath, collecting her thoughts before speaking her next words. Satan was a fickle ruler and she'd had the flesh peeled from her body more times than she could count. It would serve no one if she spoke in haste and created a misunderstanding.

"We are close my liege."

"Close? You've been _close_ for far too long. I grow impatient." Astarte shivered at his words, knowing full well the torment that awaited those who tried his patience.

"Surely you wouldn't have us reveal a plan that wasn't well researched?" The words had barely left her mouth before she felt the sharp sting of his clawed hand contact her cheek. His movements had been so quick; she'd had no time to brace for his assault.

"You would do well to tamp down your impertinence slave!" She shivered as his hot, foul, sulfur smelling breath roared across her face. Astarte collected herself as Satan once again returned to his throne.

"My apologies sire. I meant no disrespect." Satan snorted at her begging and motioned for her to proceed with her explanation. "Ba'al has found a prophecy that tells of a child born of a human woman that will lead to the destruction of humankind…" Her explanation was interrupted by Satan's bellowing voice.

"Prophecy?! There are hundreds of prophecies that foretell that very thing. **None** of them reveals how to accomplish the task. You bring me another 'story' to add to the others." Satan snorted angrily as fire burned from his eyes as his fingers clicked impatiently on the arms of his chair.

Astarte remained quiet until the only sounds echoing in the large room were the cries of the imprisoned souls. Once revered as a goddess, she was not accustomed to hearing such misery. Her ears were once attuned to the cries of worship from her people, not the anguish of the damned. As a demigod, her role had been one of relative ease. Astarte took her job as goddess of war, sexuality and fertility very seriously and took every opportunity to incite lust in her followers. It wasn't out of the norm for orgies to occur in her temples on a daily basis. It was also not out of the norm for Astarte to join in with one, two or even three partners. Astarte's life was good and her people prospered. As happened to most beings who allowed pride and ego to override their true position in the world, Astarte ignored the rules she was bound to and wielded her power over her followers with impunity. Her jealousy over the other gods were legendary, yet it wasn't until she purposely brought war upon a Hebrew tribe when they referred to her as a demon of lust and refused to worship in her temples, did higher powers step in casting her into Hell for eternity.

To say that Astarte enjoyed her position in Satan's court would be horribly inaccurate. Like the poor souls that were imprisoned in the underworld, prison Astarte did as she was told hoping to someday find a way out.

And like the other prisoners, every day was a disappointment.

Her last hope was that Ba'al, her partner by necessity, would be able to correctly decipher this latest prophecy. While it was beyond her captor's power to restore Astarte to her former goddess stature, he was capable of giving her a mortal life. Normally, Astarte would never consider living as a weak-willed mortal. However, given the choice to live out a small, insignificant life on earth or remain as a dethroned goddess of war and fertility in Hell, she'd take the human life.

At least then she'd once again be able to enjoy her favorite form of worship, sex.

"Astarte, do you enjoy your existence here?" She looked him in the eye and calmly shook her head. Satan chuckled at her honesty." Then you have a choice. You can either remain as my guest in the comfort that you've grown accustomed to." He didn't even try to hide the sneer in his voice. "Or you can scuttle back to your quarters and help Ba'al find a solution to my problem." Astarte leaned back on her bare heels as Satan moved to stand directly in front of her. She closed her eyes immediately, having learned the hard way how much more difficult life in Hell could be with burned corneas.

"My impatience with the both of you has reached its zenith. If I don't have the answers I seek within a fortnight, I will see to it that you and your brethren spend the rest of your miserable existence nailed to my wall on display for all to see. Now, go and do as I command." With her eyes closed, Astarte was completely unprepared for the pain of her master's nail scratching down her cheek."

Astarte let out the breath she was holding and turned quickly from the throne room.

Ignoring the pleas and cries of the damned, she hurried through the corridors to the rooms she shared with Ba'al.

The heavy door slammed against the wall, marking Astarte's entrance. " _Brother_ , tell me you have news, for I will not be the one who ventures into that lair again without a sound plan." She landed heavily on the hard, cold bed that sat next to the stone desk where the fallen demigod, Ba'al was hunched over several stone tablets.

"Fear not sister, I may have the answers our host is searching for."

"Do not toy with me Ba'al, he plans to flay the skin from our bodies and mount us to his walls."

Ba'al shivered at her statement, hating that he feared the punishment she described. He had once been a fearless demigod of crops, animals and weather, revered and adored by his Cannanite followers. Unlike his symbolic sister, who preferred to remain in her temple and be worshipped, he had worked side by side with his people helping to cultivate the lands and manage the herds in order for them to prosper in their desert home. His deeds were legendary and his people flourished throughout the lands. However, he too fell into the same trap that caught Astarte. After yet another bountiful harvest, his people began to consider him the one true god. Their prayers and sacrifices were to him only, bolstering his sense of importance and worth, thus angering God. When Ba'al didn't correct their thinking, he was punished.

He was now reduced to a miserable existence doing the bidding of a creature that was so vile, and decrepit, that it had been expelled from heaven. He felt his was a punishment without justification. Unlike Astarte, he had not proclaimed himself above God. He had done as he was bid. It was no fault of his own that the people turned to him as their sole deity. Especially when God would remain quiet for long periods, leaving them to think that he had forsaken them.

Ba'al blamed God for what had happened and he vowed that one day he would have his due.

If serving the dark lord would further his cause, then that's what he would do.

"I do not _toy_." He huffed at her insolence.

"Don't get all mighty with me. You may have once been considered a god on earth, but in this realm you are no better than any of the other wretched souls residing within these walls."

Ba'al took a cleansing breath before addressing her. As much as it pained him to admit she was right, until he found a release from this place, he was no better than her or any of the other pitied and broken souls whose moans echoed off of the cold, stone walls.

"Let us stop this petty bickering. I believe I have found the answer to our worries. And our dear host will need our help to see his plan to fruition." Ba'al turned to smile at the clearly scared, Astarte. Her once bright blue eyes and glowing mane of blond hair were dull from centuries of drudgery and the horrors she had been subjected too in this pit of damnation. However, if this prophecy proved to deliver what it promised, she would be returned to her previous physical glory.

As would he.

"Then end the suspense dear _brother_ and tell me of the plan that will take us from this place."

Ba'al grinned and motioned her closer as the words he was about to say, would be for her ears only until they had a plan that would ensure a win-win for themselves.

"Listen well my _sister_ , _The Swan_ prophecy foretells…"

 **~~TDP~~**

"This is bullshit!"

"Emmett Michael Cullen, you watch your mouth."

Edward hung his head as he watched his older brother visibly struggle to keep his anger in check over his father's announcement that the family would be leaving Seattle for a tiny dot on the map called, Forks.

"That little shit fucks up and _ **I**_ lose everything _**I've**_ worked for? You guys can go wherever you want, but I'm not leaving." The force of Emmett's chair hitting the wall as he stormed from the table and out of the room shook the walls of the substantial house.

"That went well." Esme Cullen glared at her husband before reaching for her ever present wine glass.

"Es, don't start." Her husband warned.

"Don't start what? You couldn't have found a better way to break the news to him other than, 'pack your bags we leave in a week'? Jesus, Carlisle…"

"God damn it! I said don't start!" Carlisle's fist hit the table, punctuating his statement. Edward's mother blanched briefly at her husband's outburst, before gathering her own fire and opened her mouth to speak again.

Edward lifted his eyes to see his parents glaring at each other. "Please don't fight."

Both of his parent's turned to him as if just realizing he was there. "This is all my fault. Please don't yell at each other."

Edward felt his father's glare as his mother moved from her seat to put a comforting hand on her youngest son's back.

Carlisle opened his mouth to reiterate that indeed their current predicament was Edward's fault, but thought better of it when he looked into the regretful eyes of his son and the lines of worry and sadness on his wife's beautiful face.

"Yes, well, this family needs to move forward. Forks will give us all a fresh start. I need to go to the hospital and start preparing my patients' files for transfer." Carlisle grabbed his keys from the side table and followed in the wake of his older son's prior departure.

From the dining room window, Esme watched her husband's black Mercedes dart out of their circular drive, past the half dozen rose bushes that she'd been cultivating since they moved in fifteen years ago. She wondered briefly if she'd be able to find the hybrid Angel Face roses she favored in Forks.

"Mom."

"Yes, sweetheart?" Though her heart was heavy and sad, her tone was gentle and kind. There was no reason to add to the pain her boy was already feeling.

"I'm so sorry about everything…"

"I know you're sorry."

"I've ruined everything. Emmett hates me, dad hates me and…"

Esme took her son's face in her hands, marveling at how much younger he looked than his seventeen years. "No one hates you." She tried to reassure him.

Edward shook off her hands, hunching his shoulders and leaned forward to lay his head on the table.

"Yes they do. And I deserve it." He paused for a moment to run his fingers through his unruly hair. The action was inherited from his father, as was his brilliant mind and stubbornness. Esme laid claim to his copper colored locks and his gentle nature.

"Honey…"

"No. Mom, why don't you just send me away? Send me to grandma in Chicago or military school? Why disrupt the whole family? I was the one who fucked up. I should be the one to leave."

Esme tamped down the need to reproach him for his language as she looked into the sad green eyes of her baby, the son she'd failed.

"Edward, we're a family and together we'll get through this. Your brother will get on the football team at Forks High School and your dad will settle in at the hospital and…"

Edward pushed away from his mother to stand by the window. His eyes took in the yard of his childhood. The tire swing that his father had put up for him and Emmett when they were seven and eight years old was long since gone, but the memories of the carefree afternoons spent swinging under the canopy of the tree were still vivid. His mother's prize winning roses moved gently in the breeze. How many hours had he spent helping his mother care for them? His eyes focused on the oil spot in the driveway, remembering how proud Emmett had been when he'd successfully completed the first oil change on his sixteenth birthday present, an old truck. A small chuckle escaped as he also recalled how his father's pride in his son's accomplishment turned to anger when he'd seen Em had spilled the oil all down the driveway, leaving the now very visible spot.

His mother's arms came around to gently pull him into her embrace. Her recognizable scent calmed him.

"Baby, everything will be fine. We'll put this behind us. You'll see." Edward nodded at her assurances, but in his head, he was already planning the garden he would help her grow, the extra chores he would do to make things up to his brother and then, well, he didn't know how to fix things with his father, but he'd keep trying.

 **~~TDP~~**

" _Salted nut rolls!"_

Charlie chuckled quietly at his daughter's attempt at swearing while watching her grab her back pack only to have the contents spill out onto the floor because she'd once again forgotten to zip it up. "Need help?"

Bella blew a lock of mahogany hair from her forehead as she bent to pick up the books, papers and assorted writing tools that were scattered on the ground.

"I got it. Don't think I didn't catch you laughing." She accused him.

"Sweetheart, I'm your father. I'll love you no matter what, but I'm also human. You can't blame me for laughing when I see something funny."

"Watching your kid fail miserably at walking a straight line is funny?"

Charlie leaned forward, handing her the pen that had rolled under their small kitchen table.

"First, you don't fail miserably at _anything_ and secondly, what can I say? I'm a simple man. I laugh at guys getting hit in the crotch and water skiing squirrels. "

"Okay. I forgive you. This time." Bella chuckled, before ducking out the back door and away from her father's attempt to playfully ruffle her hair. It was all she could do to keep the mess on top of her head tamed on a good day; she didn't need him making it worse on purpose.

Bella had made the drive to Fork's High School so many times in her seventeen years; she barely needed to be conscious to get it accomplished. Her old maroon Honda Civic made the turn into the lot and headed for the same parking spot she'd been occupying for nearly a year. The spot was in the last row of the lot, the furthest from shelter from the rain, mist, snow…and whatever else the weather gods threw at the people of Forks.

" _Forget about East, forget about West, go where the weather suits you best_ …" As Bella sang along to her new Keith Harkin album, her trusty car made a right and then the quick left around the circle to slide into her unofficial/official parking spot only to find some newbie had broken protocol.

" _Fruit baskets!"_ The sound of screeching brakes echoed off the cement barriers as Bella slammed on the brakes, narrowly avoiding the shiny silver Volvo parked in her spot.

After circling the lot to find another spot, a grumpy Bella emerged from her car to find the small and unassuming figure of her best friend Alice Brandon.

Like Bella, Alice had spent the last three years at Forks High School as an invisible cog in a very small wheel.

The fact that there were only 452 students in the entire school should have ensured the two girls a fairly high spot in their class hierarchy. However, their shyness and quiet natures cloaked them in what was a fairly bland existence.

Bella got out of her car and grabbed her book bag. Not bothering to lock the car door. Knowing that if anyone wanted in her old car badly enough, a locked door wasn't going to stop them. Besides, they were more than welcome to the _'This is the 90's'_ cassette tape and half bottle of water sitting in the console.

"So, another year at good ole' Forks High?"

Bella regarded her best friend and nodded. "Yep. Only one more and then we can get out of here and see the real world." The girls smiled widely at each other, their hopes for a good school year evident on their faces.

With linked arms they walked side by side into the school; behind their classmates to start what they were sure was another boring and forgettable year.

They had no idea that the evil coming their way would prove them wrong.

 ** _~~Woe to the children of God, should the Dark One complete his objective~~_**

* * *

 **Thoughts?**

 **Until next time,**

 **ruinedbyrob**


	2. Chapter 2

Helloooo! I'm absolutely blown away by the reception TDP has received. I can't thank you all enough for taking the time to leave a review. You can't see the smile your kind words put on my face, but please know it's there and it's huuuuuuuuuge!

So much love to my amazing team: Sazzledazzled and Mullet86,they make sure I stay on track, Edwardsfirstkiss for wading in and correcting my grammar and punctuation and 2brown-eyes for the gorgeous banner. You guys are the cherry on top of my hot fudge sundae!

 **Disclaimer:** SM owns Twilight, I own a slightly overweight Chow Chow puppy. Though most would claim she owns me. :)

* * *

 **A Devil's Plan**

 **Chapter 2**

 ** _Soda Machines and Shuttlecocks_**

Edward sat hunched low in his car, watching his brother disappear into the brick building that was Forks High School. Emmett didn't need to tell Edward to wait until he was in the school building before following him inside. Since the 'incident' Edward knew to keep his distance from his brother. He'd chosen this parking spot for both its clear view of the entrance and distance from the door. When school ended, he'd have a clear shot for the exit as well as not having to worry about congregating teens wanting to gossip about whatever social event was planned for the weekend. Edward had no plans to engage in any such talk or to attend any parties. Not that he'd be invited anyway. He'd never been invited by his classmates at his old school either.

Only Tanya had ever taken notice of him.

His eyes began to tear up at the memory of that relationship and what it had meant to him before everything went to hell. Her attentions had made him feel strong; smart-she had noticed him when no one else had. She'd made him feel sexy and desirable when the girls his age hadn't.

Cursing himself for his weakness, Edward hastily wiped away the errant tears with the sleeve of his dark blue Henley. He'd force himself to wait until he could shed them tonight in the comforting darkness of his bedroom.

With Emmett's bright green shirt no longer visible, he knew that it was safe to follow.

Edward had always been in his big brother's shadow. Emmett was always the more outgoing, athletic and charming of the two of them. There was definitely a bit of hero worship on Edward's part and knowing that he may have lost his brother forever, depressed the younger Cullen.

Edward sighed heavily and forced himself to leave the comforting shelter of his beloved Volvo, for the unknown halls of Forks High School.

He passed the other students chatting happily in the hallways, while he searched for the office, where he would pick-up his class schedule and locker number. Not wanting to garner any more attention, he wandered the halls looking for his destination, rather than asking the unfamiliar students for directions.

After what had happened in Seattle, Edward was accustomed to the stares and whispers that followed in his wake. It was a small comfort knowing that in such a small population, his very existence in the tiny town of Forks, would be the cause the talk and not his colossal fuck-up.

Luckily, Forks High wasn't even half as large as his last school. He was able to find the office quickly.

Mentally crossing his fingers in the hopes that Emmett had already made this trip, he opened the door and started his day.

"Good morning. You must be, Edward Cullen." A cheerful voice called out to him from his left.

He nodded and carefully made his way around the two girls standing in front of him to the front desk. They had both turned to look at him the minute his unfamiliar name had been called. He kept his head down, avoiding their curious glances.

"Don't be shy, sweetie. We're all friends here. I'm Mrs. Cope." She held out her hand.

Ever the gentleman, Edward smiled and lightly shook her hand. "I'm Edward."

"Honey, I already knew that. Let me get your schedule." She turned her attention to the computer on the desk. "I apologize for not already having this printed out for you, but your brother just came in and insisted I change your gym and study hall." Edward's shoulders hunched slightly with the knowledge that his brother's hatred for him was already rearing its head at their new school.

"I would've thought that since you didn't have any classes together you'd enjoy each other's company in gym class, but to each his own." She off handedly commented before handing him the aforementioned, amended schedule. Edward thanked her quietly, before turning to leave the office.

He reached the door to leave just as Mrs. Cope's welcoming voice rang out. "Ah, you must be Rosalie and Jasper Hale."

Edward moved to the side to allow the boy and girl enough space to enter the suddenly crowded room. With his head and eyes on the floor, he missed the look of scrutiny the twins fixed upon him.

 _AP English- Rm 220, AP History-Rm 216, Comparative Religion-Rm 214 , Lunch Rm B2, AP Biology- Rm 157 and -Gym._ Edward repeated his schedule out loud as he arranged his notebooks and writing tools in his locker. His eidetic memory would allow him to remember his schedule and room numbers without having to walk around the school carrying the actual piece of paper looking like a newbie. Though he doubted the small student body needed to see him with a white piece of paper to know he was new to the school.

 _Why schedule all but one of my classes on the second floor yet, put my locker on the first?_ Edward wandered as he trudged up the stairs carrying enough books for his first two periods.

Edward's trip to the school office had cost him his head start on the morning. Most of the class was already seated, leaving him no choice but to sit in the back of the class. As assumed, all eyes were on him as he walked in.

"Ah, you must be Edward Cullen. I'm Mrs. Woodruff." The fifty-ish woman with glasses and curly brown hair greeted him warmly. Edward nodded in greeting as she handed him his admittance slip.

"We're very excited to have you. Here are your books." Edward accepted the books noting that he'd already read three out of the five, and silently walked towards an open desk, avoiding eye contact with the rest of the student body.

Edward set his bag on the floor and appeared to give his full attention to his teacher, while promising himself that all he had to do was make it through the day before he could go home and fall apart.

~~TDP~~

"Look, the vending machines are turned on." Alice whispered.

Bella turned in her seat and saw that indeed the bright lights of the automated treat dispensing machines were on.

"Alice, no." It was too late. Her sugar-junkie friend was already out of her seat, and bouncing on the balls of her feet as she stared intently into the brightly lit cavern of sweet delights.

Bella shook her head. Poor Mrs. Cope would once again be fielding calls from Alice's mother demanding the machines be turned off during lunch. Taking a bite of her ham and swiss on rye, she re-focused her attention on the poetry of Sylvia Plath, wanting to get a head start on her English homework.

"And this is my friend Bella." Bella looked up at the sound of her name to see that Alice had returned with a stranger.

A blond, _male_ stranger.

"Greetings, Bella."

Bella swallowed the large bite of sandwich and took the boy's offered hand. "Hi." She muttered lamely, wondering what was going on between Alice and the stranger.

"May I join you ladies?" Bella let go of his hand and nodded as he smiled and took the seat across from her.

"Yes. Please sit down. Do you need anything? I was going to go get a soda. I can get you something if you'd like. Or you could come with me. Look Bella, they had Reese's."

Bella had to laugh at Alice's barely comprehensible speech, as the aforementioned, candy had already begun affecting her usually quiet friend.

"Um, we still have half a day of classes. I think I'll stick with water." Bella motioned to her unopened bottle of Dasani.

Alice frowned at the water. "But Bella, they have Dew-"

"You know, I think I would very much like to purchase a container of water. May I procure one for you as well Alice?" Bella paused chewing her sandwich, her eyebrow quirked at the boy's strange way of speaking.

Alice nodded slowly, her eyes wide. The boy smiled and proceeded to get in the lunch line. Both girls watched him walk away in silence.

"Oh my God! Bella, he's buying me water. A boy is buying me water. A cute boy is…"

"I got it Alice. Who is he?" Bella laughed cutting off her friend's exuberant statement.

"His name is Jasper Hale. He's a transfer." Duh, he's a transfer. Bella thought. Otherwise she'd already know who he was.

"How did you meet him?"

"Huh?" Alice's eyes were still cemented to the back of the new boy.

Bella nudged Alice in her side and repeated the question.

"Oh, um, I was standing over at the vending machine and he just appeared."

"So, he's in our grade?" Alice nodded absently like one of those bobble head things that people put on their dashboards; her gaze was locked onto the blond boy.

Bella was resigned to the fact that any further information she wanted about Jasper was better left for when the boy in question was able to answer himself, as Alice was of no use while she was busy ogling him. With that in mind, Bella resumed eating her lunch and reading the poetry penned by the obviously very depressed, Sylvia Plath.

Jasper returned with two bottles of water, handing one to Alice, who blushed and thanked him several times.

"It's nothing. Please do not give it another thought." He pulled the empty chair out from across Bella and sat down.

"So, where did you come from? Do you have any siblings? I bet you're from somewhere with a beach, you have a beachy look to you. How do you like Forks? What do your parents do? Where do you –"

"Alice, enough. Let the man answer at least one of your questions before you fire off twelve new ones." Bella shook her head as her best friend practically had to sit on her hands in order to calm her excitement.

"My, aren't you a curious little thing." Jasper chuckled, taking a drink of his water. "Let's see here, my sister, Rose and I transferred from another tiny little school in Dillon, Texas, we're here living with our aunt and uncle."

Bella waited expectantly for the rest of his story, one does not just pick up their roots and move to Forks, Washington without a reason. For someone to choose to move here, a person would want or need to disappear from the rest of the world. Unfortunately, Alice skipped right over the why or how he ended up here and went right for the least interesting part of his comment.

"You have a sister? Is she older or younger? Does she look like you?"

"We're twins actually, though she is five and a half minutes older than me, but I like to think I'm the better looking of the two." Alice almost fell off her chair as he winked and flashed a sly smile.

Alice blushed under his gaze. Bella was excited for Alice, as this was the first time a boy had spared more than five minutes talking to her, but couldn't shake the feeling that there was something a little _off_ about him.

"Twins! How exciting. I'm an only child. I've always wanted a sibling. But you know what they say, what nature doesn't provide, God will. He brought me Bella. She's my sister from another mother." The girls smiled at each other. They were truly as close as siblings.

"Do you take your faith seriously Bella?" Bell's smile turned instantly to a frown, thinking it odd that Jasper, whom they'd just met, would ask such a question.

When Grandma Swan was alive, Bella was a Sunday school regular at the small Methodist church on Fifth Street, but Charlie wasn't a regular churchgoer, preferring to worship every Sunday at the altars of the Hoh and Sol Duc rivers where the Steelhead trout were abundant. Without an adult forcing her to get up early to attend church, Bella had begun sleeping late on Sundays, though she did insist that Charlie attend the Christmas and Easter services like every good Christian and wore her grandmother's cross around her neck when she felt the need for a little extra faith.

"I guess." She shrugged.

Jasper smiled. "I see." Bella didn't ask what exactly he _saw,_ choosing instead to ignore his strange look and go back to her gloomy reading.

"Where is your sister? She's welcome to sit with us." Alice's head swiveled as she scanned the cafeteria.

Jasper returned his attention to Alice and answered her question. "Thank you for the offer, but it appears that my sister has been equally as fortunate as I." He paused to smile at Alice, causing another blush to bloom on the smitten girl's face. "And has made a few new friends." Both girls looked up and followed his gaze to a table in the back of the cafeteria where a beautiful blond girl was sitting center stage.

Bella recognized most of the Fork's elite gathered around the table, but couldn't place the giant dark haired boy with the deep dimples. He was seated to Rose's right devouring a heaping tray of food.

"She's beautiful." Alice whispered, sagging slightly in her seat.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, fair Alice." Jasper reached across the table and placed his hand gently on top of hers.

Bella felt slightly uncomfortable with the sudden hand holding going on in front of her.

"Who is the guy next to her?" Bella asked.

Not surprisingly, it was Jasper who answered, as Alice was still struck comatose by his touch.

"His name is Emmett Cullen. He and his younger brother, Edward recently moved to Forks from Seattle. Edward is a junior but is taking all advanced classes. Bella, you will probably have him in several of your own classes."

Jasper's creep factor was slowing moving up. "How do you know what classes I'm taking?" She demanded, not liking the feeling that his words had evoked. Bella Swan wasn't a girl that took things too seriously, but there was something about this new kid that rubbed her the wrong way.

Jasper took a quick breath and removed his hand from Alice's tight grasp. Bella could've sworn that she heard Alice whimper at the loss. "Apologies Bella, I saw that you are reading the same book that was assigned to me in my morning AP English and deduced that you are also taking advanced classes."

His answer was smooth like glass. _Too smooth._ But it did explain how Jasper knew about the Cullen brothers.

"It's okay." Bella replied lamely, fairly embarrassed for being harsh with him. Especially as it was becoming apparent, if Alice had any say in the manner, Jasper would be a daily figure at their lunch table.

Jasper bowed his head slightly in acceptance of her apology.

Before Bella could think any further on Jasper's odd behavior or why Emmett was the only Cullen present in the cafeteria, the bell rang signaling the end of lunch.

Bella grabbed her books and empty lunch bag. "See you in gym?" Alice nodded absently. Bella resisted rolling her eyes at Alice's moonstruck look and got up from the table.

Jasper released Alice's hand and stood up. "It was a pleasure to meet you Bella. I look forward to furthering our relationship."

"Uh, me too." Bella muttered quickly and scurried away from the weird boy.

~~TDP~~

"So Bella, are you still planning to play hard to get again this year or will you finally admit that you want all up on my junk?"

Bella rolled her eyes and pretended to gag as the bland, blond boy attempted to give her what he thought was a seductive wink but really looked like he'd just been poked in both eyes with a sharp stick.

"Mike, are you having a stroke?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. Tyler Crowely laughed at her comment, before taking his seat next to Mike.

Mike glared at Tyler, but moved to take his own seat at the table. "Screw you Ty!"

"Really? I thought your tendencies ran more towards the females. But if that's what you're into…I don't judge." Bella took her seat, chuckling as the boys scuffled playfully beside her.

"Excuse me." Bella jolted in surprise at the voice next to her. She always sat alone at her lab table.

"I'm sorry, but your chair is on my bag." The boy pointed to where the leg of her chair was sitting firmly on the corner of his book bag.

Bella quickly got off of her chair; and watched the boy move his bag before turning wordlessly to stare at the front of the room.

Stunned, Bella stood beside the desk and stared openly at the pretty, copper haired boy.

"Ms. Swan, take your seat." Mr. Banner ordered as he took his place at the front of the room.

Blushing at being called out in front of the class, Bella shamefully slid into her seat and took out her biology book just as Mr. Banner began his annual soapbox rant about recycling and ground water contamination.

As this was her third year in one of his classes, Bella ignored Mr. Banner and took the opportunity to sneak covert looks at the stranger sharing her space. Through deductive reasoning, she was after all an A average student, she deduced that the beautiful boy sitting next to her was none other than Edward Cullen.

He bore little resemblance to the large boy Jasper had pointed out at lunch. However, Bella was certain that the silent and slightly sad looking boy was indeed the younger Cullen. Not having much, or truthfully any experience talking to cute boys, Bella made the decision to sit silently and watch the one sitting next to her for the entire period. Her actions weren't very conducive to learning nor would it gain her more knowledge of the boy but it seemed to her to be the only thing she could do.

As Mr. Banner droned on about recycling, Edward's stomach growled in protest over his decision to forgo lunch. One quick glare from Emmett at the entrance of the cafeteria at noon, had made Edward decide to hide out in the library until class time.

Edward pinched himself in the side hoping to quiet the gurgling sounds. He chanced a side glance at the girl next to him, hoping she hadn't heard his stomach growl. Her head was bent low over her textbook; her long hair hid her face from his view though it was apparent that she wasn't actually following along with the teacher as she hadn't turned a page in nearly ten minutes.

He wasn't surprised she hadn't noticed him when she came in.

No one ever did.

He'd noticed her right away. Her long, dark hair had caught his attention immediately as it shone in the sunlight like pieces of amber colored glass moving in a breeze.

A wave of unrealistic jealousy had poured over him as he'd witnessed her interaction with the two boys. Her smile was bright and cheerful as she'd bantered with them. Edward had never been able to engage in such easy conversation with a female and was jealous of the boy's ability to do so. His conversations with Tanya had been the most interaction he'd ever managed with a woman other than his mom, but even so their dialogue had always been driven by her. He'd been content to listen to Tanya speak, not caring what she was saying, he just relished in her attention.

The girl… _Bella_ , the boys had called her Bella, emitted a soft sigh beside him. He chanced a look at her and was rewarded with a quick smile before the heavy curtain of her hair fell once again to hide her pretty face from view.

 _Pretty?_ Edward surprised himself with that realization, but couldn't deny the truth. The odd girl sitting next to him with her silky hair and soft smile was pretty.

Beautiful in fact.

He thought briefly about speaking to her, introducing himself, but before he could muster the courage the bell rang and Bella was caught up in the crowd of students making their way to the door. It was just as well he decided. No good would come from forming an attachment to anyone in Forks, especially the pretty girl with the shiny hair and sweet smile. No good came from anything he did.

With a deep sigh, Edward collected his books and headed to his next class, Phys. Ed.

 **~~TDP~~**

"Ugh! I hate these stupid things." Bella complained, tugging at the hem of her gym uniform. "Why are these stupid things so short? It's ridiculous that I have to not only worry about gravely injuring myself playing whatever ridiculous game they have set up, but I also have to worry about giving every pervert in the class a glance of my butt cheeks every time I bend over."

Alice nodded her head with understanding as Bella ranted. Alice listened and nodded every year at the same argument. She'd always kept it to herself that unlike Bella, Alice secretly hoped someone wanted to look at her butt, and didn't mind the obscene length of their gym shorts. In fact, Alice had a good feeling that this was the year someone would finally watch the show she strove to put on for every class.

"I bet Mr. Griffith designs these silly things himself." Bella continued to grumble. "He's always looking at us with a weird expression and the boy's shorts aren't nearly as short as ours." She shot an accusing glare at their aged gym instructor, as he set up the basketball hoops.

"Big deal, one more year and then you never have to wear another pair of these things again." Alice promised in a good-humored voice.

Bella turned her glare from the gym teacher to her friend. "Why are you so chipper?"

Alice quickly wiped the smile from her face and turned to look at Bella. It was too late. Bella had figured it out.

"Ah, Jasper." With her secret out, Alice no longer bothered trying to hide her smile as she went back to staring at the blond boy across the floor.

"He's so handsome." She sighed loudly.

Bella rolled her eyes at her friend's mooning. "Geez, Alice. It's not like you've never seen a boy before…" Her words dropped off as the most beautiful boy in the world entered the gym.

Bella was suddenly overcome with dry mouth as she watched Edward Cullen walk across the floor. Her interaction with him in biology class had been embarrassing. Embarrassment was something that Bella understood, something she'd experienced many times in her childhood. But her reaction to seeing him in the tight white tee-shirt and green shorts that composed the Forks High gym uniform was confusing and totally foreign.

 _My God!_ She thought when a sliver of belly skin was exposed as he raised his arms to take practice shots by himself at the far end of floor. Unconsciously, her tongue peeked out of her mouth, wetting her lips while thoughts of allowing said tongue and lips having free reign over his tight, smooth skin pushed all other thoughts from her brain.

"See something you like?" Alice inquired with an amused smirk on her lips.

"What? No! I was just…" Bella stammered as she attempted to hide her reaction to the auburn haired boy.

"You were what, maybe thinking of how best to perform a lay-up or execute a pick and roll?"

Bella glared menacingly at her friend. Undeterred, Alice continued her teasing.

"Because from the look on your face it sure looked as if you were thinking that you wanted to put your mouth all over that new boy."

Bella blushed as Alice pointed a hot pink fingernail in Edward's direction.

"Shut up." Bella ordered before grabbing an orange ball from the cart and walking over to the closest basketball hoop.

Alice skipped cheerfully alongside her best friend. "He's cute. Not as cute as Jasper of course, but I can see the attraction."

Ignoring her best friend of nearly twelve years, Bella began tossing the ball up towards the hoop. As long as she made an attempt in class, Mr. Griffith would stay off her back.

As expected the ball bounced off the back board hitting Mike in the arm and then rolling across the gym floor.

"Sorry Mike," Bella yelled over her shoulder as she chased the rolling ball across the glossy floor.

"Umph." Bella didn't have time to react when she hit what felt like a brick wall. All she could do was fall to the polished floor.

"I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" Dazed from the hit, Bella blinked up at the shadow that hovered over her.

The harshness from the gym lighting illuminated his copper tresses, shining like a halo around his head.

"Face of an angel." Bella muttered softly as she stared at the boy above her.

"What?"

"You look like an angel." She muttered again before the realization of what she said hit her almost as hard as her ball had hit Mike. Mortified at what she'd just let slip out, she clapped a hand across her mouth.

"I assure you I'm the farthest thing there is from being an angel." Edward uttered quietly, leaning down to help her up.

Their hands met and Bella felt a tingle of electricity run up the arm that Edward had touched. The feeling was very similar to the one she'd had when she was four and had used a fork to dig out her burnt toast from the toaster. Her actions had necessitated a stern lecture from her father and an emergency trip to the hairdresser. Once the burnt ends had been cut from her hair, Charlie had lectured little Bella on messing with things that could hurt her.

 _Surely, that lecture didn't apply to the gorgeous boy helping her up from the floor?_

"Thank you." She muttered, reluctantly letting go of his hand.

"Sure." He answered off handedly, while picking up her ball and handing it to her. "Here's your ball."

"Thanks again. I'm terrible at handling balls. Now, shuttlecocks, those I can handle just fine." She boasted, as badminton was one sport she was halfway capable of participating in with a modicum of skill.

Edward's eyebrow raised at her remark. "Um, okay."

Bella's face turned bright red as the full force of what she'd said registered.

 _Cocks! I just told him I handle cocks!_

Red-faced with extreme embarrassment, she turned away from him and walked as fast as she could back across the floor. Leaving a bewildered but smiling Edward behind her.

For the rest of the gym period, Bella stuck to her side of the gym avoiding eye contact with the good-looking boy and nodding every once in awhile at whatever comment Alice was making at the time.

Mercifully, the bell rang, announcing the end of class as well as the school day. Bella grabbed Alice's hand and hurried to the locker room to change. She was finished with this stupid class, and eager to get home where she could think about the day. More importantly, she needed to analyze her reactions to Edward Cullen and what they meant.

Across the gym in the boy's locker room, Edward was as equally finished with the day as Bella and was also trying to put his thoughts about the brown haired girl with the pretty eyes and horrible aim into perspective.

What eluded both of them was that their reactions to each other were also being observed. By whom and why would remain a mystery for now, however soon their lives would become completely intertwined and both would be nearly powerless against the forces gathering in their small town.

* * *

 **A/N** Raise your hand if you had to wear a ridiculous get up for physical education. Seriously, why? WHY?!

Until next time, stay safe and have fun!


	3. Chapter 3

So, how was your week? Mine sucked, sucked, sucked! One lightning storm brought down my entire business. I've worked all week to get phones, internet and ONE computer working.  
I want to thank you all for your reviews and to Tarbecca for recommending TDP on A Different Forest. Reading your reviews has been the ONE bright spot in my entire week.

Mucho kisses and big hugs to my team: Sazzledazzled,Edwardsfirstkiss, Mullet86 and 2brown-eyes for supporting me on this journey. {{Kisses}}

Disclaimer: SM owns it all, but she's letting me play with her stuff and I'm eternally grateful to her for being so generous. Now, if she would slip me Rob's phone number, I'd put her in my will. Just sayin'.

* * *

 **The Devil's Plan**

 ** _Satan's Demand_**

"Edward, how was your day?" The sound of his mother's voice foiled his attempt at a quick escape to the solitude of his bedroom.

"It was fine." He stated flatly and started up the staircase to the second floor of their new house.

Edward had only climbed two steps, when his escape was halted by his mother's hopeful face appearing at the bottom of the stairs. "Why don't you come into the kitchen and tell me all about it? I baked your favorite, sugar cookies with almond butter cream icing."

Torn between wanting to spend the next four hours lying on his bed trying to forget the last year and thinking about what his reaction to Bella meant for his upcoming year, Edward weighed his options.

"Edward, please come sit with me." Edward's shoulders slumped at the sound of his mother's pleaded request. As much as he wanted to lose himself in depressing music and teenage angst, he couldn't ignore her plea for company. After all, it was his fault she was alone in the house all day.

Edward gave in and turned around, he returned his mother's smile as he walked down the stairs to join her at the bottom. "Sugar cookies? I'm in." His mother's smile of gratitude was heartbreaking.

"Good. Come on, I'll get you a glass of milk and we can talk." She pulled him with her towards the kitchen.

Edward took his seat at the table and looked around the room. His mother's imprint was easily detected in the cheerful room. When they'd left Seattle, Esme Cullen had been forced to close her lucrative home interior business. The small town of Forks, while perfect for a family needing to lose itself in a fresh start, wasn't a place that had much need for someone with her talents. She'd gone from working fifty hours a week and being the toast of the Seattle social circle, to a stay at home mom with no groups or committees to attend and no friends to spend _Wine Fridays_ with.

"Drink up, sweetie." For the first time in a long time, a sincere smile crossed his face as his mother placed a plate full of sugar cookies and a large glass of cold milk in front of him.

Edward immediately shoved a cookie in his mouth and thanked his mother. "Fanjk vou."

Esme was so pleased to see her son enjoy his snack; she didn't bother to scold him for speaking with his mouth full.

Since moving to Forks, she'd begun to feel utterly useless. Her husband worked as much as he possibly could, using his new position at the hospital as an excuse. Esme knew that he was really just avoiding his family. As soon as they'd arrived in town, Emmett had joined the football team, hoping to regain the team captain spot he'd lost when they moved from Seattle. He'd been training and working with the Fork's Head Coach non-stop since they'd arrived. She barely saw him other than to feed or keep him stocked with fresh underwear and socks.

That left her baby, Edward. She'd willingly given up her lucrative business, social circle and friends to help her boy. But now that the boxes were unpacked and everyone was gone all day to either school or work, Esme was alone and bored.

Alone and bored was not a good combination for a woman dealing with the betrayal of a best friend and the resulting breakdown of her family.

At the moment, her only outlet was mothering her family. A task made extremely difficult when there was no family around to mother.

"How were your classes? What did you have for lunch? Were you warm enough? Did you make any friends?" Esme sat down across from her son and proceeded to inquire about his day.

Edward swallowed his mouthful of milk, ignoring his mother's reproachful look as he wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his shirt.

"Um, everything was fine." Edward shrugged and took a bite out of another cookie.

"Fine?" Esme had been alone all day. She needed more interaction. "No, no, no, I spent the day doing your laundry, cleaning your bathroom, cooking meals…You have to give me more than, ' _fine'_."

Edward set down his half-eaten cookie and looked up into his mother's hopeful eyes. "My classes were good. I didn't eat lunch." He admitted quietly.

Edward sighed as his mother frowned at his admission. "I wasn't hungry, so I used the time to familiarize myself with the school." He was lying but he couldn't take the hurt that would appear in his mother's eyes if she discovered that his brother had forbidden him from being in the same room over their shared lunch period.

"Do you need more to eat?" Esme pushed back her chair already mentally going through the contents of her refrigerator.

"No, mom. I'm good. The cookies are more than enough." Edward promised.

"Okay, but don't do that tomorrow. You're a growing boy…" Her words died in her throat as she remembered that he was _still_ a boy, yet he'd made a very adult decision that had nearly destroyed them all. "I'll make lunch for you to take tomorrow. You can eat it whenever you'd like." Edward nodded, he wasn't going to argue with her.

Neither would his stomach.

"So, did you make any friends?" Edward's mind immediately went to Bella. She'd called him an angel in gym class. But she wasn't his friend, as much as he thought he might like her to be. Though the prospect of anyone, much less the prettiest girl in the whole school wanting anything to do with him once they discovered what he'd done, was a long shot at best.

"Um, no. Not yet. I was pretty concerned with just finding my classrooms and not getting lost." _Lost?_ That was a joke. Forks High school was not even half the size of the one he'd attended in Seattle.

Esme nodded at her son's lie. He'd always been so shy and introverted the opposite of her older son. Emmett was always the first to reach out a hand to a stranger and was never in need of a friend. Thinking back, she'd wished he'd had one less friend. No, that wasn't fair, she thought. It wasn't Alec's fault that his mother was a cheating whore.

"Well, now that you know where you're going, you can concentrate on getting to know a couple of your class mates," she said, while patting his arm and getting up from the table to continue her preparations for dinner.

Edward got up and put his dishes in the sink. "Mom, would you like help peeling those potatoes? He would postpone his scheduled wallowing session to spend a bit more time with the only woman who had never failed him.

"Really?" He nodded at her surprise. "I would love some help!" Esme exclaimed, grabbing another vegetable peeler and apron out of the drawer and handing them to her son. "I don't know if your father will be joining us tonight or your brother for that matter, but if he does grace us with his presence, we need to be prepared." She pointed to the sink full of potatoes.

"Yeah." Edward agreed, tying the plain red apron around his waist. His brother could eat a five-pound bag of potatoes by himself if left to his own devices.

"This is just like old times," Esme sighed, trying to keep the tears at bay as she took her place next to her broken son.

"Yeah, mom." Edward smiled and started in on the peeling.

 **~~TDP~~**

"So, what did you think of Jasper?" Alice asked in the high pitched tone she affected after eating copious amounts of sugar. Bella held in her immediate answer as she wasn't able to shake the feeling that there was something very strange about him.

"You're decimating that poor candy bar." Bella pointed out, watching her best friend methodically peel and eat a Kit Kat bar one layer at a time, licking her fingers loudly between each bite.

Alice shrugged and continued her sweet destruction. "Stop avoiding the question. I can't have my best friend not getting along with my future baby daddy."

" _Baby daddy?_ You met him today! You haven't even been on a date!" Bella spat out in disbelief at her friend's ridiculous statement.

"Maybe not, but we have a connection." Alice put down the remainder of her snack and looked earnestly across the bedspread to her friend. "When he came up to me this afternoon, it was as if I was under a spell. I looked into his eyes and my whole body shuddered as if I'd put my hand on an electric fence. At that moment, I knew I would do anything he asked of me. My will was his, completely." Alice sighed and stared dreamily off to the side of Bella's room with unfocused and glossy eyes.

Concerned about her friend's willingness to give up her free will, Bella leaned over the lavender bedspread, ignoring the numerous candy wrappers and lovingly touched Alice's hand. "Alice, that's not a good thing."

Alice flinched from Bella's touch and shook her head. To Bella, it appeared as if she was shaking off a veil or cobweb. "You don't know anything. You haven't met the _one_ yet. Until you do, you won't understand. You're still a child." Alice snorted haughtily.

Bella pulled back her hand, hurt by her friend's rebuff. "If meeting _the one'_ involves me losing my free will, then I'll die a virgin. Because becoming an order-following, glassy-eyed robot for any man _isn't_ happening to _me_." Her voice had an angry tone she'd rarely used with the girl that had been her surrogate sister since they were children.

"What about that new guy, you know, the one you were practically undressing in gym class? I have a feeling that you'd put your free will aside for him." Alice challenged.

"Edward?" Alice nodded. "Um, well, you know, he's cute." At the mention of Edward, the temperature in Bella's room suddenly increased as she willed her body to not betray her further.

"Cute?" Alice challenged. "I don't believe that I've ever seen your face go that red over a boy that was just _cute_." Alice's eyebrows lifted in challenge.

"It wasn't that red."

"You looked like a human tomato. You obviously thought the new boy was attractive. You should ask him out. You need someone in your life." As attractive as Bella thought Edward was, she was slightly offended that once again her best friend was suggesting that her life was lacking simply because she was single. A status that Alice had shared only scant hours ago.

"You know there's more to life than having a boyfriend, right? Friends, family-they're all important."

The air in the bedroom suddenly felt thicker to Bella as the face of her surrogate sister twisted into an icy glare. "Nothing else matters. He's my life now." She all but sneered.

Not since the night her mother had run off had Bella's heart filled with such dread.

 **~~TDP~~**

"Have you found a vessel?" Ba'al's eyes met Astarte's in the dimness of the room. She shrugged and retreated further into the dark corner of the room in the stolen home she'd claimed as her own. The low light in the room made it difficult to clearly see her appearance, but Ba'al didn't need bright light to see that fear and apprehension marked her face as surely as it was evident on his own.

Swallowing hard, Ba'al answered his master. "Sire, we have found a suitable vessel and have made contact with the brother as well as a friend of The Swan, both are well under our contro-" A loud, menacing voice interrupted his statement.

" **Did I ask you about a** _ **friend**_ **or a** _ **brother**_ **?!"** The bellowed question echoed in the dark room. Astarte pulled her legs up closer to her body, trying to make herself disappear. It pained Ba'al to see the once proud goddess, cower in a corner like an animal. But there was little he could do to change their predicament. They were under Satan's thumb and they both knew it.

"No, sire. I apologize for my impertinence. I only meant to explain what we have accomplished." He said humbly.

The blood in the chalice that was serving as an Earth to Hell telephone churned and gurgled, reflecting the mood of the being on the other end.

"Unless you have secured _my_ vessel, you have not accomplished a fucking thing!" Ba'al recoiled slightly as drops of blood flew out of the cup, landing on his hand. The smell of the curdled wolf's blood caused him to swallow thickly as bile rose in his throat.

" **My vessel must be secured!** If you feel that task is too much for you and that sorry excuse for a goddess you call, _sister_ , I'm sure there are plenty of souls down here willing to try, and then you and Astarte may return home. I've kept your rooms warm for you. The decision is yours!" With that threat delivered, the blood stilled, thus ending the call. Ba'al's shoulders sagged in relief of having that call completed. They'd been given a second chance; Satan rarely gave second chances.

"What are we going to do?" Astarte asked quietly from her corner, her long, blond hair hung low on her face, hiding her eyes from her partner.

As both of them had been powerful beings in their old lives, Ba'al had never felt responsible for the welfare of another demigod. They had both reigned supreme in their former lives, however as a human male, he felt the all too common burden of responsibility for his sister-in-arms.

"I'll make contact with him tomorrow." He assured her.

"How? He never appears at the mid-day meal period." Ba'al of course knew that. He'd tried for a week to corner the boy, but had missed him every time.

"I will contact him tomorrow," he said defensively, "the boy must go somewhere to eat, and I'll simply track him down and get his consent." Ba'al ignored her snort of disbelief and continued his statement.

"He will consent. He won't have a choice."

* * *

Lots of theories out there this week. Did this chapter confirm anyone's thoughts?

Until next time, happy reading.


	4. Chapter 4

**Greetings and salutations!** I hope you all have had a great week and if anyone was in the path of Hurricane Matthew, I hope you escaped its wrath.

I've been sick all this week with one of the worst cold/flu bugs I can remember having. Reading your reviews and were the absolute highlight to my week.

Virtual kisses to my whole team; SazzleDazzled, Mullet86 (pre-readers), Edwardsfirstkiss (Beta) and 2brown-eyes (banner artist). You guys are wonderful and I appreciate all of your help.

Disclaimer: SM owns Twilight and I own 3 empty boxes of kleenexes, 2 boxes of various cold medicines and a half bottle of NyQuil. If she's interested, I'm open to a trade.

* * *

 **The Devil's Plan**

Chapter 4

 _Fall to Pieces_

"I think it would be nice if you waited and rode to school with your brother." Edward halted on the staircase, holding his breath as he awaited his brother's answer. Despite the fact that the two boys had day and night personalities, they'd always been close and Edward still harbored a shred of hope that they would find a way back to each other.

"Nice?! Well I think it might have been _nice_ to finish my last year of football with the top three Class I team in the state. You, know the one I've been playing with for the last five years? Instead I've been sentenced to this shitty- podunk town and its fucked up Class III team. But we don't always get what we want. Not since your precious Edward had to go and stick his dick-"

The sound of Esme's hand making contact with her eldest son's face, echoed throughout the large house.

Edward could count on one hand the number of times he'd ever been struck by his parents. Carlisle and Esme preferred time outs and the removing of privileges instead of physical punishment when it came to disciplining their children. The fact that she had resorted to slapping Emmett, bespoke of just how at the end of her rope she was.

"Don't you dare speak to me like that! I don't deserve your anger." Her voice shook with her frustration.

Edward's head hung low. He knew he was the one who deserved his brother's anger.

"I'm sorry, mom. I'm just so… I hate this place! It's not fair!"

"I know it's not fair." Esme sighed. "But everyone makes mistakes and a family supports one another. Always." She reminded her son. "Just remember that you're not the only one that life has been unfair to." Her quiet words didn't have the effect she'd hoped.

"You don't think I know? Dad had to give up a job that he worked his ass off to finally get. You had to close your business, I lost my friends and probably my shot at a football scholarship! We all lost in this deal!" Emmett's voice had once again taken on an angry tone.

It was dark in the stairwell. The morning sun hadn't quite reached in with its warming rays. But even in full sunlight, the shadow that hovered over Edward wouldn't have diminished. He was a soul in turmoil and hearing his mother and brother fight over their respective losses broke him just a little bit more.

"Yes! We all lost something in this whole thing. But don't you see? Edward lost the most. He lost his heart, his innocence..." Esme's heart broke a little more as she thought about what had befallen her son. He was broken, and their family was breaking, yet here she was pleading with her eldest son to have a little sympathy for his younger brother.

"Mom, I love you. But it's not happening. He ruined our lives." The back door slammed, signaling Emmett's departure. Edward silently counted to twenty and cautiously finished his walk into the kitchen.

Upon seeing her baby, Esme quickly attempted to dry the tears that had escaped during her conversation with Emmett. "Good morning, sweetheart," she said with desperate cheerfulness.

"Good morning, mom." He returned with a forced smile, before sitting down in front of a bowl of cooled oatmeal.

"Oh, let me get you a fresh bowl." His mother offered. "I thought you would be down sooner." She reached over to take the bowl, silently berating herself for almost sending her son to school with a belly full of congealed oatmeal.

Edward stopped her. "Don't worry about it mom. I'll just grab a _Pop Tart_. No big deal." He walked to the cupboard where his mother kept the processed, salty snack foods that were apparently necessary to keep Emmett alive.

"No!" Edward's hand stilled on the cupboard handle at his mother's loud demand. Sensing his shock, her voice quickly softened. "Please, let me get you something warm to eat. I need to feel as though I'm doing something right."

Edward quickly nodded and sat back down at the table. He knew that his mother harbored guilt over what had happened. Emmett's anger, his father's disappointment- he understood those emotions. But the fact that his mother carried so much guilt ate at him.

"Thank you, mom." He whispered when a fresh bowl of cinnamon and raisin oatmeal was placed in front of him.

Edward finished his breakfast in silence while his mother bustled around the kitchen.

"Here's your lunch, sweetheart. Turkey and Swiss on rye. Your favorite." Esme handed him the brown bag lunch she'd packed.

As much as he detested himself for the reason she no longer had a job to go to each morning, he couldn't deny how much it meant to him to have her here. He left his house every morning knowing that despite the things he'd done, the hurt he'd caused, someone still loved him.

Overcome with emotion, Edward leaned down and hugged his mother. "I love you mom," he said quietly into her ear before grabbing his back pack and rushing out of the house.

As Esme Cullen watched her baby drive away, the morning's events crashed down onto her and she allowed the tears she's been holding in, to spill out onto the crisply ironed tablecloth.

 **~~TDP~~**

"Do you believe in love at first sight?" Charlie Swan dropped the piece of toast he'd been enjoying and wiped a buttery hand across his lips as his daughter stared expectantly at him from the other end of the table. He'd been raising Bella by himself since his wife ran off thirteen years ago. He knew from experience that the seemingly innocent question could potentially be a trap. She may have inherited her smile and perpetually pale skin from her mother's side of the family, but her ability to ask a leading question complete with a stare that would have all but the most hardened criminals confessing to whatever crime she chose, was all his influence. Bella raised an eyebrow as he raised his coffee cup for a sip of courage disguised as morning caffeine.

"No." Charlie Swan was a man of few words.

Bella shifted in her seat, placing her elbows on the table and narrowed her deep brown eyes knowing full well that her father's tactic of giving one word answers was his way of throwing her off.

"Uh, uh. I need more than that." She demanded with a frown.

Knowing he was caught, Charlie took a deep breath and gave her what she wanted.

"Love is something that develops over time as two people learn each other's likes, dislikes, faults…It's not immediate." Satisfied with his answer, Charlie resumed his breakfast.

"Alice says she's in love and she just met the guy Monday." Releasing a deep breath, Charlie got ready for round two.

"Alice is a flake; she's always saying things like that. Remember when you two watched that wizard movie where the guy died and you two lost your minds-"

"That was Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire!" Bella interrupted loudly. "And the _guy_ was Robert Pattinson, only the hottest and most popular movie star in the world!" Bella huffed, crossing her arms over her chest with undisguised contempt at her father's willingness to overlook the supreme hotness of the one idol his daughter held dear.

Having grown accustomed to his teenage daughter's outbursts of indignation, he simply rolled his eyes and continued with his explanation. "Okay, whatever. My point is that after watching that movie, Alice decided she wanted to be a wizard. For a whole week the two of you ran around here trying to turn spiders into cats. And then she was on to something else. Let her have her fun. In a week, she'll be _in love_ with space and will proclaim she's going to be an astronaut."

Charlie was silent as he waited to see if she would accept his answer and allow him to finish his now cold cup of coffee and stale toast. Satisfied that her silence meant that he had indeed given her an answer she would accept, he resumed eating his breakfast.

"I don't know, "she said soberly. "This is different. She says that he's _the one_ and that they're going to get married. She says that his will is hers and that nothing else matters but him. Dad, he kind of creeps me out. There's something not right about him."

Charlie put down his coffee cup. His training in law enforcement had done little to assist him in the role of caregiver to a teen daughter, however his investigative training had been quite helpful when interrogating a suspect, especially when it came to using his instincts. He'd long ago taught his daughter not to take her instincts lightly. If she thought something was off about that boy, then he wasn't going to ignore her.

"What bothers you about this boy?" He asked sternly, letting her know that he was serious.

"Um, maybe I'm making a big deal out of nothing?"

"Tell me. I'll be the judge." Charlie gently urged.

Bella hadn't set out to make a big deal out of her feelings of uneasiness about Jasper, but she couldn't ignore them either. "He asks questions that are really intrusive and he acts as if he knows things about me. He's always staring at me like he's trying to look into my soul, plus he speaks in an old fashioned way that's odd."

"I think anytime someone asks you questions that you feel are disturbing it's a good idea to take a step back. What do you mean by he's trying to look into your soul?" Nothing his daughter was saying was too alarming, but his honed police instincts told him that a little due diligence wasn't a bad idea.

"I don't know, he just stares at me as if he's waiting for me to agree to something. He looks at Alice in the same way and she goes into this blank trance. It's just weird." An unintentional shudder ran through her body as she remembered the last few lunches she'd shared with Jasper and Alice.

"What's this boy's name?" Charlie pulled out the stereotypical cop's notebook.

"Jasper Hale, but Dad, do you really think that's necessary?" Even though it was her fears that started the whole conversation, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was opening a can of worms that she'd rather leave closed.

"Bella, there's no harm in finding out a little more information about the boy. I didn't realize the Hale's had children." Charlie's moustache twitched in irritation, he prided himself on being up to date on all of his community member's lives, this information didn't make sense.

"They don't. Apparently he and his sister are their niece and nephew. They just showed up from Texas. No one has ever seen them before. They appeared out of thin air."

"Hmmm, from Texas? Things get a little weird down there. I'll make some inquiries."

"Fine," Bella said in mock exasperation. In truth she was glad her father would be looking into Jasper Hale.

 **~~TDP~~**

"Hello, Edward, may I share your table?" Edward swallowed the bite of sandwich he'd been chewing and looked up at the blond stranger. His eyes quickly darted around the empty library.

Not waiting for Edward's invitation, Jasper pulled out the seat opposite of the bewildered boy and sat down.

"Do I know you?" Edward asked, slightly taken aback at the way the other boy decided to sit down without his answer.

"Allow me to introduce myself, I'm Jasper Hale." Not wanting to appear rude, Edward wiped his sugar cookie covered hands on his pant leg and shook the strange boy's hand.

"So, this is where you've been hiding? You've caused me quite a bit of trouble this week."

"Um, I'm sorry?" Edward didn't know why he should be sorry that he apparently had put this Jasper kid out, but he lowered his head in apology and took another bite of his sandwich, silently hoping this Jasper person would go on his way and leave him to his turkey sandwich and English homework.

"You're sorry? I have a feeling you utter those words a lot in a day."

A cold chill swept down Edward's spine. "What- what do you mean?" He asked looking straight across the table into the other boy's eyes.

A sly smile spread across Jasper's face. "Oh, my friend, you have the look of someone who has done very bad things in their young life. Your guilt Edward, it shines like a beacon."

The sandwich his mother had lovingly prepared for him dropped soundlessly to the table as Edward's body seized with fear.

"Never fear. What you have done is of no consequence to me. I only wish to-"

"Stay away from me." Edward demanded with as much as force as he could muster. With shaking hands, he gathered his books, preparing to flee. His heartrate sped up as he fought to decipher what the boy's words meant and why he's said them.

"Edward, wait. I know someone who can make things better." Jasper yelled out into the quiet library as Edward rushed out the door.

Jasper fell back into his chair, silently cursing himself for not achieving his objective. He'd scared the boy and now he would have to start over. His mistake had just made his task ten times harder.

"That didn't appear to go as planned." Jasper groaned at Astarte's observation.

"I'll handle it." He promised. He didn't know how, but failure was not an option.

"I believe I can be of some help." Surprised, Jasper looked up at his sister, the fertility goddess. She'd never offered her help for anything.

"How can you help?"

Her bright red lips formed a wide smile. "We need him to be on edge, correct? We need the boy to be as miserable as possible? Willing to do anything to escape the daily recrimination from his family and the guilt he harbors in his soul?"

"Yes and just how do you propose to do that?" He asked sarcastically.

"Well, anyone can see the boy's soul is already cracked, we just need someone to finish breaking it. To put it simply, dear _brother_ , we need to use a bigger hammer."

 **~~TDP~~**

Edward ran out of the library with his mind racing from his conversation with Jasper. _"How?"_ Edward muttered to the empty hallway as he slumped against the cold brick wall. Anxiety rushed through his body _. "What had he meant? Why did he say those things to me? How could he have possibly known what I did?"_ His book bag fell to the ground at his feet as his lungs filled with gulps of stale air.

"All I said was that she needed to check the expiration date on that yogurt. I don't know how anyone can blame me for her vomit- Edward? Are you okay?" Bella moved rapidly towards the shaking mass huddled against the hallway wall.

"Alice, go get the nurse!" Bella ordered. Alice's heels clicked on the floors as she hurried towards the office. Bella took in the boy before her. His back was damp with sweat, his hair lay in wet strings across his forehead and his book bag lay forgotten at his feet. He was murmuring to himself while rocking back and forth with his arms crossed over his middle. Bella wanted to hug him tightly to her but was afraid of his reaction, so she settled for rubbing what she hoped were soothing circles on his back.

"It's okay Edward." She repeated to the beautiful boy at her side, patting his arm in what she hoped was a comforting manner. Bella was beside herself with worry for the boy she'd met only four days earlier. After their interaction in gym class that first day, they'd settled into a timid routine. Bella would stare at Edward and Edward would smile shyly while sneaking looks at the embarrassed girl. Their verbal interactions were quick one word exchanges across their lab table. Currently here were no shy smiles or embarrassed looks, just a concerned girl caring for a troubled boy.

"I've got him, honey." The nurse knelt down and gently pushed Bella to the side, taking her place next to Edward. "Edward, let's get you into the office." The nurse began leading the still silent and shaking Edward away. Bella's heart broke as she watched Edward and Nurse Westbrook walk away.

"What do you think that was about?" Alice asked.

Bella shook her head. "I don't know. But I hope he's okay."

The bell rang out in the hallway, signaling the end of the lunch period. Students began filling the hallway on their way to the next class of the day.

"We'd better get to class." Alice tugged on Bella's sleeve. Bella nodded absently and followed her friend towards their shared English classroom, but not before she picked up Edward's discarded book bag.

As Bella followed Alice down the hallway, her concern for Edward was etched deeply onto her face and was not missed by the watchful eyes of Rosalie Hale. She had observed the aftermath of Edward's meeting with Jasper in the library and had followed the clearly distressed boy down to the first floor hallway where he'd proceeded to break down. Her initial plan had been to offer him comfort, thus gaining his trust and then using her skills to bend him to her will. However, the meddling of the Swan girl had thwarted her plan and now Rosalie was left without a course of action.

As she stood in the empty hallway, contemplating her next move and inwardly cursing the very girl that was the path to her reward, she caught sight of Emmett Cullen and a few of the other children gathered around his locker, a smile appeared on her red lips. If she could not depend on Ba'al to force the boy to jump off the cliff, she would have to do it.

And she knew just the person to assist her in pushing him to the edge.

"Oh, Emmett." The eyes of every male within hearing distance shot in her direction as she swiveled her hips in their direction and walked seductively towards them. Human males had always been easy for her to seduce, but she was finding these high school boys easier than most.

"Yeah, babe?" Astarte swallowed down the bile in her mouth at being referred to as "babe" and allowed the big child to put his sweaty hands around her waist while casting possessive glances at his jealous cronies.

Astarte ran the tip of a shiny, red nail down the front of Emmett's muscular chest, delighting in the shiver he tried to hide.

"I would like to meet your parents tonight. I think you should have me over for dinner."

"Um, I'm not sure that would be a good idea." Emmett lifted one of his hands away from her waist to rub the back of his neck as he contemplated the thought of her meeting his family. Sure, he was all about showing her off. Snagging the hottest girl in school within the first week of classes had to be some kind of record, but his family was fucked up and he wasn't keen on letting the rest of Forks in on just how much fucked up they were.

"Why? Are you embarrassed by me?" She asked, pulling away from him with a look of mock hurt. Emmett immediately felt bad, as had been her plan and pulled her close to him, ignoring the stares of the other boys.

"No, babe. Never! I just, I just don't know what my mom has planned. She might not appreciate me bringing a guest to the house."

"Emmie, I'm not some stranger you pulled off the streets, I'm your girlfriend. And as such I should be welcomed into your home at any time. Don't you agree?"

Emmett found himself transfixed by her stare. Her brilliant blue eyes seemed to bore right into his soul, he was powerless against her plea. All he could do was nod in agreement, even though he knew in his heart it wasn't a good idea. He simply couldn't tell her no.

"Good. After practice, you'll come to my house and pick me up. I'll expect you no later than five-thirty." With a chaste kiss on his cheek, she turned away in search of her failed partner. Leaving a numb looking Emmett in her wake.

"Dude, you're fucking whipped!" The boys all laughed in agreement.

In a flash, Emmett's hand shot out, grasping the boy who had spoken by the neck, pushing him up against the nearest locker.

"What did you say, Crowley?" He demanded as the boy tried to escape his grasp.

"Nothing." Tyler sputtered, red-faced in embarrassment.

"That's what I thought!" Emmett let go and watched as Tyler gasped for air, attempting to regain his breath. Emmett turned from the group and stomped off to the school weight room, hoping that a little extra work out would calm him. He wasn't normally so quick to violence, in fact, he was more often than not the one who sought to make peace between friends at odds. But the events of the past months had hardened him, and though he hated to admit it, ever since Rosalie had entered his life he'd found that his temper had a hair trigger and he was much more likely to respond with force than ever before. He would need to release a lot of aggression on the field this afternoon if he was going to be able to get through a meal with his brother in attendance.

As the door to the weight room slammed shut behind Emmett, Astarte turned from the alcove she'd been observing Emmett and smiled gloatingly towards Ba'al.

"Leave it to me. After tonight Edward will crack completely. All you'll have to do is pick up the pieces."

Ba'al glared at her, hating that he'd failed this afternoon, but grudgingly accepting that had indeed failed.

"Let's hope you are successful." He uttered through clenched teeth.

Astarte chuckled at his pouty expression. Men are such children, be they human or demigods, she thought. "What could go wrong?"

* * *

 **A/N** I'm loving everyone's theories! Keep em' coming!

Have a safe and healthy week. To those who were impacted by Hurricane Matthew, you're in my thoughts and prayers.

ruinedbyrob


	5. Chapter 5

****

I'm loving the response to this story. A giant thanks to all who review. Your words keep me writing and make me feel soooo very happy.

Thank you to my team, SazzleDazzled, Mullet86, Edwardsfirstkiss and 2brown-eyes for all of their help.

SM owns Twilight, but I own a bunch of- you know what it doesn't matter. Stephenie wins. She always wins.

* * *

 **The Devil's Plan**

Chapter 5

 _Guess Who's Coming to Dinner_

"Edward, honey, can I come in?" At his mother's knock, Edward moaned and pulled the covers over his head, hoping to block out the world. The dark blinds that covered his windows blocked out the sun, casting his room into near total darkness, matching the blackness that filled his soul, a soul that yearned daily for something to shed light into the void.

A sigh escaped the miserable boy as the scent of his mother's perfume filled his nostrils. She hadn't waited for his invitation to come in.

"Baby, we need to talk about what happened today." Her voice filled with concern. So much so, that the boy was sure that his heart would break all over if he looked into her face.

"I'm fine." Came his muffled reply from the safety of his blankets.

"Edward, you had a panic attack at school. You're obviously not _fine_." The bed jostled slightly as Esme sat down next to her cocooned son. "If you don't want to talk to me, we could find you another therapist that-"

"Really mom?" Esme moved back in shock as Edward threw off his blankets and bolted out of bed.

"You'd want _anothe_ r person to walk this Earth knowing want a monster I am?" Edward began pacing at the side of his bed, clutching at his hair. A habit that had developed after last summer's incident. "Isn't enough that we both know what happened to Tanya and -"

"Edward Anthony, you are not a monster!" Esme jumped from the bed interrupting him. She grabbed her son by the arms, forcing him to stop pacing.

"Mom-"

Edward's arms began to burn as his mother's hold tightened.

"No! Don't _ever_ refer to yourself as a monster. I won't have it, Edward. Do you hear me?!" Esme's voice shook with emotion. Edward nodded in mute agreement. His mother's raised voice and darkened eyes, reflected her passion on the subject. He wasn't going to argue with her. With shaking hands, Esme released her son and watched with sad eyes as he rubbed the spots where she'd been holding him. Her heart sunk.

"Edward, I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me." Today, she had physically injured both of her sons. She felt as if she were the true monster.

"It's okay." Edward answered automatically, sitting down beside his mother in the bed with downcast eyes.

Esme wiped her tears and gently gripped her son's chin, forcing him to look at her.

"It's not okay. You and your brother are the most important people in my life. It's never okay for me or anyone else to hurt you. Regardless of whether it's physical or emotional. It's not okay." Esme knew that her son's emotional scars were much deeper and more damaging than anything he'd experienced physically. She took a deep breath, looking deeply into the emerald green copies of his grandfather's eyes.

"Baby, what happened was not your fault." Edward opened his mouth to protest, but Esme cut him off. "No. Stop. It wasn't. She was the adult, she made those choices and you both have to live with the consequences. But, Edward, you _have_ to live. You have to find a way to not let the guilt take over. Forks is a fresh start for all of us. We left the bad behind in Seattle. No one knows what happened and there is no reason for them to ever know."

Edward's thoughts quickly went to the conversation that had been the catalyst to this whole discussion and thought about telling his mother about what the blond boy had said to him. But she was so desperate to have things within their family return to normal, he thought better of it. No use in upsetting her more than she already was. He'd already caused his mother enough grief.

"Now, I want you to seriously consider talking to a therapist." Esme continued. "We can find one in Port Angeles that isn't connected to your father. Please, say you'll think about it." Edward nodded in agreement. How could he not? Through everything, his mother had never given up on him. If it would make her feel better, he'd consider therapy.

"Good," Esme said with a sigh of relief, and plastered a smile on her face. She would let the events of the day break her later when her baby wasn't around.

"I'm going to go downstairs and decide what to make for dinner. Your brother went through the pantry last night like a bear emerging from hibernation. We may be stuck with saltine crackers and a can of tuna." In spite of himself, Edward had to laugh. Emmett hated tuna fish. It would be the one thing he wouldn't eat on a foraging run.

"Will you be alright while I figure something out for dinner? I don't want you sitting up here in this dark room wallowing in the past."

"I won't." He promised with a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. Esme didn't totally believe him, but at this point, she would take what she could get. Even a half promise was better than nothing.

~~TDP~~

" _Throw away your phone and your inhibitions too. There're a hundred dirty things that I want to say to you."_ Sang the girl who rarely if ever uttered dirty words as she drove to what appeared to her to be the farthest point in Forks you could go and still consider yourself a _townie_. The dense foliage cast a shadow over the road, making a typically overcast day in Forks appear almost Twilight.

Spotting the bright red mailbox that had Cullen, elegantly written in white across the side, Bella veered off the claustrophobic road onto a slightly less shadowy lane. The tires of her old Civic crunched heavily on the fresh gravel that led up to a large house. For perhaps the one-hundredth time since leaving the high school parking lot, she questioned the intelligence of her trip. "Bella you can do this. He's just a boy." _A really, really hot boy._ Her subconscious mind interjected.

"What if his mother answers the door? What if he's too embarrassed to see me and I end up embarrassing him even mor-"

"Hello, are you lost?"

"Holy Scooby Snacks!" Bella yelled out loudly as a woman rapped on her damp window, halting her inner pep talk. With red flushed cheeks, Bella grabbed her bags and slowly opened the door.

"Um, hi." She managed to utter without spitting on the woman who had to be Edward's mother.

"Hello. Can I help you?" Yep. This had to be Edward's mother. They had the same smile.

"Yes, I'm here to see Edward."

"Edward? Edward Cullen?" The woman asked, clearly shocked.

"Yes. This is his house right?" Bella quickly scanned the piece of paper Mrs. Cope had given her.

"Yes! This is Edward's house. Please, come in." The woman all but pulled Bella up the stairs to the brightly painted door and into the elegantly appointed foyer.

"Are you in Edward's class? Can I get you something to eat or, drink? Here, let me take your coat." The woman spoke so quickly that Bela was not able to answer any of her questions before her purple wind-breaker was peeled off her shoulders and hung up in the orderly hall closet.

"Oh my, I didn't even introduce myself. I'm Esme Cullen, Edward's mother." She said, holding out her hand for the silent girl to shake.

"I'm Bella." She announced, shaking Esme's hand with enthusiasm.

"Nice to meet you Bella. Let me get Edward." Bella could do nothing but stand in silence and as the copper-haired woman yelled excitedly up the winding staircase. "Edward! Bella is here to see you!"

The two women stood in awkward silence as they waited for Edward to appear. Bella took a moment and glanced around the Cullen home. The wood floor in the foyer gleamed brightly in the dim hallway leading back into what Bella assumed was the kitchen as well as a large dining room to her left. The large table reflected the light from the overhead chandelier, casting large shadows across the taupe colored walls. To her right was a large room with formal looking furniture and plush light-colored carpeting. _Definitely not a room to be eating or drinking in,_ thought Bella. She strained to see the family portrait hanging over the over the large fireplace. Bella's breath caught at the sight. The family was all dressed in white shirts and denim jeans. Edward's parents were sitting on large rocks in front of the ocean as their sons sat at their feet. As beautiful as the beach scene was, Bella couldn't take her eyes off Edward. The white button down shirt hugged his shoulders and highlighted the deep tan he had no doubt acquired at said beach, making his normally pretty green eyes, stunning. But what was truly breathtaking was his smile. In the short week Bella had known him, she'd never seen that dazzling smile on his beautiful face.

Happiness practically radiated from him.

"That was taken last March, on Jekyll Island." Bella blushed furiously at being caught leering, and turned to Esme. The older woman's smile of a moment ago lessened as she looked at the photo.

"Happier times," she said quietly, before turning back to Bella. "I don't know what could be keeping him." Esme opened her mouth to call her son again when he appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Mom, did you say Bell…" Edward's words trailed off when he saw the brown haired girl.

"I brought your homework," Bella said loudly, holding up Edward's discarded back pack as if it were a record breaking trout.

Esme stifled a laugh at the girl's exuberance and watched her son's reaction. His small smile warmed her heart.

"Thank you?" He eyed his forgotten book bag warily, a reminder that Bella had witnessed his earlier panic attack.

"We were given an assignment today in class." She continued her exuberance now at a normal level. We can get credit for it if we turn it in on Monday. I could use the credits and wondered if we could do it this weekend." Bella was lying. Her grade was not in jeopardy over one missed assignment. In fact Mr. Banner had offered her an alternate lab to complete her requirement for the grade. Bella chose to complete the partnered lab, hoping that she could use it as an excuse to see if Edward was alright. And to maybe leer lustfully at his wide shoulders and emerald eyes.

"Um, I-"Edward started.

"No need to wait until this weekend. Why don't you work on it now? The dining room is available. I'll fix you two a snack." Before either of the two teens could fully process what had happened, they found themselves in the Cullen family's formal dining room staring in bewilderment as Edward's mother disappeared into the kitchen to begin on the promised snack.

Awkward silence surrounded them as Bella wondered what to do next. She'd pretty much used up all of her courage and creativity to get in the door. She eyed the quiet boy next to her and tried not to drool over how delightfully rumpled he looked in his plain white tee shirt and jeans. His normal bed head was even more chaotic from what she assumed was him actually getting out of bed. "So, are you feeling better?"

"Yeah, thanks." Edward's cheeks reddened slightly at her words.

"Good." She said honestly. Other than the odd sugar high freak-out that Alice would occasionally have after a night of ingesting copious amounts of illicit candy, Edward's episode was the first anxiety attack she'd ever witnessed. She'd been truly worried about him.

The rhythmic ticking of the ornate grandfather clock in the corner seemed to Bella as loud as a jet engine, as it counted out the minutes in the silent room.

"So, do you want to go ahead and get started?" Edward asked, with his eyes still focused on the shining parquet floor.

"Okay." Bella answered, releasing a small sigh. Her eyes were focused on the pretty boy in front of her as she wished she knew a way to erase the look of melancholy that seemed to be always affixed to his face. She wished she knew a way to make him smile as he had in the family picture. They both sat down at Esme's _Kincaid_ dining table and took their books out.

"So, the assignment is pretty simple," Bella said, pulling out her textbook and a white rubber swimmers cap. "Basically, one of us has to wear the cap while the other maps their brain." She held up a black Sharpie. "And then we have to write a five-minute presentation of the functions of each part of the brain and provide examples. For instance, if the brain perceives something as scary, what part would be activated and how would the body react, "she said, laying the lab instructions down on the table top for Edward to read. He nodded thoughtfully as he read over the information.

"I'll wear the cap." Bella volunteered.

Edward took a deep breath and nodded. "I guess I'll do the mapping." He picked up the pen as Bella started to stretch out the cap.

Having decided on beef stroganoff, a favorite of both her sons and their father, Esme was able to resist eavesdropping on the two teens by busying herself with the meal preparations. She'd already decided to try to and cajole Bella into staying for dinner. She hoped that having the girl around would force Edward to remove a little of the weight that he kept on his shoulders. Yes, Esme thought. That brown haired girl with the bright smile and nervous giggle was just the person to remind her son how a teenager was supposed to act.

When unabashed laughter rang out from the other room, Esme couldn't contain her curiosity any more. She grabbed the plate of cookies and two glasses of her world famous lemonade she'd prepared and rushed through the lacquered door that led to the dining room. Her smile grew wider as she took in the scene before her. A clearly frustrated Edward hovered over a giggling Bella, attempting to force a swim cap over the girl's thick mane of hair.

"Why won't this stupid thing fit?" Edward complained as Bella looked up at him with adoring eyes. Esme had to contain her mirth. The girl was clearly smitten with her son.

Setting down the tray holding their snack, on the table, Esme offered a suggestion. "Honey, why don't you wear the cap? Bella may have too much hair for it to fit comfortably." Edward regarded his mother for a moment before giving up the struggle.

"I think she's right. Do you mind?" Bella's eyes lit up at the thought of getting to handle Edward's hair without fear of being called out for fondling him without permission. She nodded enthusiastically and got up and switched places with Edward. Esme noted the smile on the girl's face as her fingers wove through Edward's hair before tucking it neatly beneath the cap.

"Well, it looks as if you two have this under control. I'll leave you to your work." Esme started to return to the kitchen stopping at the doorway when she remembered her plan to lighten her son up. "Bella, would you like to stay for dinner? We're having beef stroganoff, Edward's favorite." Bella's face softened and her eyes went to the floor at the invitation. Esme was overcome with motherly concern at the change in the girl's façade. She had had no way of knowing how much her invitation meant to Bella. Charlie normally worked the night shift and even though Alice managed to get her control-freak of a mother to have Bella over once a month or so, she usually ate dinner alone. Esme's invitation to have a real family meal with the Cullen's was a huge deal to her.

"I can call your mom if you want." Esme offered.

Bella's eyes dropped to her feet. Her long brown hair fell forward, hiding her face. "No need for that. My mom is um, gone," she said slowly. Esme's heart broke at Bella's admission. Having just moved to Forks, she was not aware of the sad story of the young Swan girl abandoned by her mother.

"My dad won't mind, he works nights. No one will miss me if I stay." Bella had lived in Forks her whole life, the last thirteen years without a mom and except for infrequent invitations from Alice's mother; no one else had taken much of an interest in making sure Bella didn't eat alone every night. Despite Charlie trying his hardest to be everything to his daughter, she still missed having a mother figure in her life caring whether she ate dinner alone or not.

"Sweetie, you're welcome here any time." Bella looked up into Esme's face and saw the sincerity in her eyes.

Smiling, Bella nodded. "Thank you."

Edward looked between the two women wondering what exactly was going on. As near as he could figure out, his mother had just invited Bella to dinner, for life.

Esme and Bella shared another smile before Esme returned to the kitchen.

"Your mom is awesome," Bella said quietly as she struggled to keep the emotion from her voice.

"Yeah, she is." Edward agreed just as quietly.

Behind the swinging doors, the mom in question was wiping the tears from her cheeks. She didn't know what Bella had meant about her mom being gone, but Esme knew that girl was missing someone in her life. Just as surely as she knew her son would benefit from having Bella in his life, she was sure that the girl would benefit from being in his.

"Mom, I'm home!" The pairing knife Esme had been using to chop onions narrowly missed cutting the tip of her finger as her eldest son yelled out his greeting.

"Emmett, inside voice." Esme admonished, before putting the knife down and turning towards her son. She was startled to see a blond girl standing next to him.

"Sorry." He said with reddened cheeks. "Mom, this is my Rosie." He smiled broadly, putting his arm around the curvaceous girl's waist and tugging her closer into his side.

"Actually, it's _Rosalie."_ The girl said with a slight sneer in her voice.

"Right, sorry babe. I'm the only one who gets to call her Rosie." Esme was taken aback by the adoring look her son bestowed upon the girl he'd known for a scant five days.

In the hopes of keeping smiles on both of her son's faces, Esme chose to ignore the girl's off-putting demeanor. "It's nice to meet you Rosalie. Emmett, would you like me to make you and your friend a snack?"

"That would be great. Thanks, mom," Emmett said, looking around the kitchen. While football and girls appeared to be Emmett's two favorite things, his mother knew that keeping his stomach full was his first priority.

"We're having stroganoff for dinner. It should be ready in an hour or so." She chuckled as his eyes lit up in excitement over the dish.

"Yes! C'mon babe, let's go watch a movie." Emmett grabbed Rosalie's hand and began tugging her towards the door leading towards the dining room. Knowing that Emmett didn't pass up opportunities to make his brother miserable, Esme attempted to redirect Emmett.

"Honey, why don't you show Rosalie your room? Edward is using the dining room." Esme was breaking a house rule, no girls upstairs, but she didn't care. She couldn't take a chance of Emmett picking a fight with his brother. Not when Edward appeared to be having a good day. Emmett's eyes darkened at the mention of his brother.

Realizing that her son hadn't formally invited the girl to join them for dinner, Esme quickly rectified the oversight and attempted to redirect his thoughts away from his brother.

"Rosalie, would you care to join us for dinner?" The girl opened her mouth to answer just as laughter rang out from the dining room. Bella's giggle was easily discernible from Edward's deeper tone.

"Does he have a girl in there?" Emmett asked with narrowed almost menacing eyes. His hands were clenched into fists, betraying his building anger. Esme sighed as she watched her son take a step towards the door. Was it too much to ask for her to have one day where both of her children could enjoy a day without conflict with another family member?

"Emmett, please leave him alone. He-"

"You know, Esme, I would very much like to stay for dinner. What is it that you're preparing?" Rosalie cheerfully interrupted, taking Esme's attention away from her advancing son.

"Actually, it's _Mrs. Cullen_ , and we're having beef stroganoff." Esme said, with uncharacteristic snark before returning her attention back to the door. "Emmett, stop! Leave him be!"

"That sounds interesting. I don't believe I've tried that dish since I've been here." Esme spared a quick glance at Rosalie, more than slightly perturbed that she kept intentionally interrupting her attempts to diffuse Emmett's anger.

Emmett's wide shoulders rose and fell with his heavy breaths. Since the incident, his normal happy go-lucky personality had all but disappeared. The mention of his brother's name, his smile would die. If he thought that Edward was experiencing a moment of happiness, no matter how fleeting, he took on the features much like the comic book character, _The Hulk_.

Esme looked to Rosalie, hoping that she would step in and calm her son. Instead, she was met with a startling sight. There was an almost a gleeful expression on the girl's face. As if she was hoping Emmett would cause a scene.

Tearing her eyes away from Rosalie, she attempted one more time to slow down her son's momentum. "Emmett, _please_." She pleaded.

"Fine! Let's go Rosie." Without turning to look at the pain on his mother's face, Emmett reached around, grabbing Rose's hand and walked out of the room, thankfully, avoiding the dining room.

The thumping of Emmett's size thirteen feet trumping up the stairs matched the thumping of Esme's heart. Resolving to try and keep her nice family dinner going Esme took the previously discarded paring knife up and resumed her dinner preparations, but not before pouring herself a large glass of Pinot Grigio.

* * *

Rhut Roh, Shaggy! Rosalie is staying for dinner. Does anyone think that's a good idea? What did you think of Bella and Edward's interaction. Cute. Right?

Please leave a review and let me know what you thought of this chapter.

Have a great week!


	6. Chapter 6

One again I cannot thank you all enough for buying a ticket and going on this ride with me. I'm sorry that I've been unable to reply to all of your reviews this week. I've got a lot going on right now and just finding the time to write and update is becoming a challenge. Please know that I read every single review and that it means to world to me that you take the time to write them.

I also want to thank my awesome team for keeping me on task; SazzleDazzled, Mullet86, Edwardsfirstkiss and 2brown-eyes, I truly appreciate everything you do for me. Thank you.

 **Disclaimer:** SM owns Twilight and I own an iPhone with nearly 900 pictures on it. Of which, 600 pics are of Rob. That's normal. Right?

* * *

 **The Devil's Plan**

Chapter 6

 _Daddy's Home_

"Holy Scooby Snacks! Edward, I didn't know you had a pet dinosaur." Bella curiously turned towards the loud thumping sound coming from the hallway.

"Um, yeah. That would be my brother Emmett." Edward offhandedly pointed towards the stairs. "He's as big as a T-Rex but his attitude is worse. At least when it comes to me." He added quietly.

Bella noticed the change in Edward's expression as he spoke about his brother. The carefree smile that had been present on his face was replaced with one of sadness. She wanted to ask him what was wrong but hesitated, not sure if that would be overstepping the tenuous friendship they'd established in the last two hours.

Not wanting to delve into why his brother hated him, or that fact that he deserved said hate, Edward quickly shook off the apprehension he felt at having his brother nearby.

"You should see the size of his shoes. I'm pretty sure mom has to order them from a clown college." Edward smiled widely as Bella let out a full belly laugh

They'd just saved their work to Edward's _MacBook_ , when Esme walked in with a tray full of table settings. "Would you two set the table for me?" She asked, setting the tray down on the table. They both happily agreed and quickly cleared their work from the table.

"Edward, do you have another sibling?" Bella asked, as she counted out six plates.

"No. Just the one. Why?"

"Your mom must have miscounted the plates. There are six. Shouldn't there only be five?"

"Um, usually there are only three. My dad rarely eats with us." His face scrunched up in thought. "I'll see what's going on." He took the plate and walked into the kitchen.

"Mom, there's an extra plate." He smiled widely as the smell of beef stroganoff wafted through the air.

"What?" Esme asked, absently turning from the oven to put the homemade yeast rolls on the counter.

"There's an extra plate."

"No, that's correct. Emmett has a friend over and your dad will be joining us." Scowling, Edward let out a deep breath. Instantly he became worried about this new information. It was bad enough that Bella would be subjected to Emmett's hatred, but if his father joined them, Bella would also have to witness the loathing for his youngest son. Not to mention that whoever Emmett had invited was sure to not be a fan of his.

Sensing her son's apprehension, Esme sought to alleviate his fears. Reaching up, she wiped the hair from his forehead. "Baby, it will be fine. You'll see."

~~TDP~~

With the table set and the food still warm, Carlisle Cullen quietly slipped into his newly acquired house through the garage door. He set his briefcase on the kitchen counter before walking over to the freezer and pulling out a well chilled bottle of Grey Goose. Retrieving one of Esme's prized Steuben glasses from the cabinet, he poured himself a healthy shot of the clear liquid and took a big drink. The cool liquid ran down his throat, coating his insides with its warming courage. As he mulled over his day as head of surgery at Forks General, Carlisle stared out of the window into a yard that was all but foreign to him. It would be several months before the roses Esme planted would bloom, yet he could already see her touch. Potted plants filled with fall blooms lined the deck where comfortable furniture, that to his knowledge had never been used, sat waiting for the expected happy family barbecues.

 _Happy Family._ Carlisle snorted to himself at the thought. He wasn't sure what a happy family was anymore. Six months ago he'd been on his way to becoming the Chief of Staff at Seattle Memorial, a job he'd been working towards for fifteen years. When he thought of all of the butts he'd kissed, the extra shifts he'd worked to gain favor with the hospital big-wigs, not to mention the soul-stealing cocktail parties he'd had to attend, shaking hands and laughing at the lame jokes of donors, his blood pressure rose to dangerous levels. He'd done all of that and more for what? A job at a lessor hospital in a town that didn't even have a damn Starbucks? And all because his youngest son allowed himself to be used by a manipulative bitch.

A surprising tinkling of laughter filtered into the kitchen. How odd he thought. Laughter had been absent from his family for so long he'd almost forgotten what it sounded like. Sighing heavily, Carlisle raised the glass and drained the rest of the vodka, steeling himself to face the family that he'd been ignoring for the better part of three months. He refilled his glass, put the bottle back into the freezer and walked through the door to join his family.

"Bella, would you like a roll? Oh, there you are." Esme exclaimed, upon seeing her husband of twenty-three years walk through the kitchen door. Carlisle leaned down and lightly kissed his smiling wife on the cheek. "It's nice to have you home." She whispered honestly. He returned her smile and looked around the table at the four faces staring back at him.

"I heard laughing. I hope I wasn't the butt of the joke," he said half-jokingly, noticing the smiling faces of his wife and sons along with two girls.

"No. We were just reminiscing about the time when we all blamed Emmett for smelling so bad at that Fourth of July picnic when it had really been the dog." Esme explained.

"That little bugger had been following me around with poop stuck to her butt the whole time and everyone blamed me!" Emmett reminded them before falling into laughter.

"Mom even made you change your underwear." Edward added, chuckling loudly.

"Twice!" The whole table erupted with laughter.

"Casey-Jo was quite a dog." Carlisle remarked, walking to take his seat at the head of the table.

"I really miss her." Emmett's comment was laced with sadness.

"We all do." Edward added, quietly.

Esme's mother instincts kicked into high gear at the sadness radiating from her children. "Maybe we can get another dog? The yard is fenced and there's plenty of room for a dog to run."

Instantly the smile was back on her boy's faces. "Really?" Emmett inquired, his eyes dancing with the thought of getting a pet.

"I don't see why not." Carlisle conceded. "As long as you both take responsibility for all of the training, feeding, walking and-"

"We will, Dad! Right Edward?" Emmett looked to his brother for affirmation. Edward nodded eagerly at his brother's question.

"Your mother and I will discuss it." Carlisle promised as the smiling faces of his family beamed excitedly at him and each other. It's almost like the old days, he thought to himself as he dug into his dinner.

The good times continued as the boys debated over what kind of dog they'd like to have. Esme could barely contain her happiness at watching her boys have a conversation that didn't involve hateful words and veiled threats. Bella chimed in every now and again with a pro or con about a breed. Rosalie was the only diner that seemed to not share their enthusiasm or good mood.

Carlisle was halfway through his meal before remembering that he hadn't spoken to the two girls at his table. "Forgive my manners, I see we have guests."

"This beautiful lady is my girlfriend, Rose Hale. She's new to Forks, has a twin brother and a killer bod." Emmett beamed at the girl sitting beside him.

"It's nice to meet you Rose." Carlisle nodded at the pretty girl his oldest son had obviously fallen for.

"Edward, please introduce your guest." Esme prompted.

"Um, this is Bella." Edward said quickly before resuming his noodle pushing. Bella lowered her head slightly at the less than stellar introduction than the one Rosalie had received.

It's nice to meet you Bella. Are you new to Forks too?"

"No, sir. I've lived here all of my life." Carlisle resisted the urge to apologize for her misfortune.

"I assume you also attend Forks High?" Carlisle asked.

"Yes. I'm in Edward's biology class."

"Bella and Edward were working on homework this afternoon." Esme offered, while pouring herself another glass of wine.

"Ah, good, good." Carlisle remarked absently. The diners resumed their meal in happy silence.

All except the quiet blond. This happy family dinner was not going according to her plans.

"So, Em, did you and the coach get anything worked out?" Rosalie asked, barely hiding a satisfied smirk when Emmett's previous smile disappeared and was replaced with a scowl.

"No." He answered angrily.

"Emmett, what's going on?" Carlisle questioned, dismayed at his son's abrupt change in temper. Both of his parent's attention turned to their oldest son.

"It's nothing." He ground out through clenched teeth. Emmett's return to the gridiron was not going according to his plan. Every day he was in Forks his chances of being recognized as a standout by college coaches decreased exponentially. He shot an angry glare to the person he blamed for his predicament and took great delight when Edward shrank under his stare.

"Son, tell us what's wrong." Esme urged, hating to see her son so upset.

"Coach Clapp won't let me start next Friday." He spat.

"What? Doesn't he know you were All State for the last three years?" Carlisle's disbelief was clearly evident in his voice and facial expression.

"He knows." Emmett confirmed.

"Then why won't he let you play?"

Emmett glanced at his brother before answering his mother. "He said that just 'because I was a hot-shot in Seattle', doesn't mean I can come in here and take over the position from the guys who have been working for it already."

Carlisle's patience was at its end. He hated that he had to uproot his entire family, causing them all to lose so much they'd worked for. It infuriated him that Emmett was being penalized for being exceptional

"Is he an idiot?" Carlisle exploded. "You're the top rated tight end in the entire state. Doesn't that moron want to win? At the end of your junior season you already had three Division I universities looking at you? What the hell is wrong with him?"

"I don't know!" Emmett countered loudly, his face was red and his breathing had become rapid and shallow. "This was _supposed_ to be my year! I was supposed to be able to write my ticket after this season! What scout is going to come to this God forsaken place to watch me ride the damn bench?" Emmett's voice rose with every word, culminating in a loud bang when his fist hit the thick tabletop, causing everyone but Rosalie to jump a little in their seats.

"Carlisle! Emmett! We have company!" Esme admonished, trying to keep a smile on her face as she looked on. "Calm down. It will all work out."

"Calm down? It will all work out? Do you even hear yourself anymore?" Carlisle asked his embarrassed wife. "We picked up and moved our entire lives in the hopes ' _it would all work out.'_ And you know what? I have a job I hate, your son is about to lose his dream of playing college ball and don't you pretend for one minute you're happy puttering around this damn house like a goddamn Stepford wife! So far the ONLY person this has worked out for is the person who is the reason we're here!" Carlisle's eyes were practically emanating fire as he turned to look at his youngest son. Edward gasped and sunk farther into his chair.

"Carlisle, please!" Esme pleaded.

Carlisle's harshness startled Bella. She quickly looked up to gauge the rest of the table's reaction, her own eyes wide with surprise. Emmett's demeanor mirrored his father's. They were both staring daggers at Edward. Esme was hiding her face behind a napkin, obviously crying while Rosalie continued eating, looking mildly amused by the whole thing. When Bella turned towards Edward she saw an image that tore at her heart. His head was down with his shoulders hunched in defeat. His whole demeanor had changed when his father joined them. Bella had initially put it down to a normal reaction to authority. Kind of like the way someone would react when being pulled over by a police officer. Regardless of whether or not a law had been broken, you always seemed to become quiet as you could while you awaited their judgment. Edward definitely fit that description.

"I'll be in my office!" Carlisle stated loudly, throwing his napkin down and rushing from the room as if he couldn't stand being in his family's presence for even a second longer. Esme's red rimmed eyes followed her husband's retreat.

Esme took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, trying to regain her composure. "Boys, I think it's time for your guests to leave. It was lovely meeting you both." Her words included Rosalie but her smile was for Bella only.

"C'mon Rose." Emmett ignored his mother's order, pushing back from the table roughly, grabbing the smiling girl by the hand and rushing from the room in the same direction his father had taken.

Esme silently watched their departure. Clearly wanting to say something but knowing that it would go unheeded. Resigned to the fact that her nice family dinner was over, Esme stood up from the table, picking up her plate and wine glass.

"I think I'll get started on the dishes," she said with a forced smile, turning towards the kitchen, stopping just as she got to the door. With her back to the room, the kids couldn't see the tears of frustration and sadness dripping down her cheeks. "Bella, I hope you don't judge us too harshly, we've had a rough couple of months." Her voice wavered slightly as she pushed open the door and left the room.

Bella was left stunned and confused as to what had just happened. It appeared as if the whole Cullen family was incredibly unhappy and they blamed Edward for whatever it was that seemingly ruined their lives. All except for Esme. That poor woman looked as if she were barely holding on as she tried to keep peace between the men in her life. Bella turned to the lone Cullen left at the table. Edward's shoulders were shaking slightly with each breath. Without thinking, Bella laid a comforting hand on his shoulder, preparing to ask if he was alright, when he abruptly stood up, effectively knocking her hand away.

"I'll walk you out," he said quietly, moving to the hallway.

Sighing, Bella stood up front the table, following Edward out of the Cullen's dining room.

He helped her get her back pack on before moving to open the front door. Never speaking a word as he moved.

Desperate to help Edward in any way she could but not having a clue as to how, she threw him a life line. "So, I guess I'll write up the rest of our project over the weekend and email it to you?" Originally, Bella had hoped that she and Edward would've worked far into the night or at least need to meet once more over the weekend, but now she was willing to do all of their work if it meant she could leave the Cullen household. Edward nodded his agreement and quietly relayed his email address before moving so she could leave. His body language tore at her heart. He looked, in a word, devastated.

Bella's heart broke wide open for this boy.

"Edward, if you think of anything you want to add to the report, or if you just want to hang-out or just talk… Um, call me, okay?" Edward's eyes lifted briefly to Bella's before dropping back to the floor. Heaving a heavy sigh of frustration, Bella walked past the boy she didn't know how to help, and down the porch stairs towards her car.

Bella had just opened the driver's door when a tentative voice called out to her.

"Bella, thank you." Bella looked up when he spoke and the sight that met her tore at what was left of her heart. The front of the Cullen home had four large windows that faced out towards the drive. Every window had bright light shining through into the darkness except for the double doorway where Edward stood. It appeared as if the gloom was swallowing him. Bella gasped as she watched him close the door and disappear further into the darkness.

With shaking hands, and tear stained cheeks, Bella made the trek back through the winding road that would lead her back to civilization, but she couldn't stop thinking about what she'd observed today. Something terrible had happened to cause the Cullen family to leave Seattle and settle in Forks. And whatever that something was, it seemed that the family blamed Edward for it. But what could a seventeen-year-old boy have done to cause such an upheaval causing his brother and father to hold so much contempt for him? Bella pondered the facts as she drove home. It was apparent that Edward hadn't always been the quiet and gloomy boy he presented at Fork's High School. The family portrait and Esme's comments confirmed that something had happened, changing Edward's personality. But what? And how did it affect the whole family? Carlisle had said that whatever had happened was the catalyst for the family's move to Forks.

There were two things that Bella knew for certain about Edward Cullen: first, he needed a friend and she was going to do everything in her power to be a friend to him and second, there was a dark cloud hanging over the Cullen family that she feared if not dispelled soon, would damage the family forever.

~~TDP~~

Forcing down the bile that always threatened to erupt whenever they contacted their master, Jasper made the preparations for the impending call. He was awaiting Astarte's return before uttering the last part of the incantation that would open a line between the two worlds.

As he was lighting the candle, the door to opened, ushering in a small amount of artificial light into the dark room.

"Well, did you make progress?" He asked with an impatient tone, earning him a sarcastically raised eyebrow from Rosalie.

"Yes, I have succeeded where you failed." She mocked, flopping down onto the bed with a flourish. "He was fully reminded of where he stands within his family. All thoughts of him not being alone in this world have been dealt a deadly blow." She remarked casually while examining her perfectly manicured nails. Jasper frowned at her actions. He found it annoying that she'd taken on such human traits as getting her nails done and worrying incessantly over what clothes to wear, as well as boasting at being able to further their mission when he had failed.

"You know, you've become quite attuned to the mundane life of a teen age girl. One would almost think that you're enjoying this punishment." Rosalie glared at him with narrowed eyes.

"And why wouldn't I? Look at me." She smirked, rubbing her hands seductively down the curves of her human form, stopping briefly to suggestively cup her ample breasts. "I'm once again worshiped for the goddess I am. These human males fall to their knees at my bidding. And the females are filled with jealousy and fearfulness. I'm at the top of the hierarchy these mortals call high school. Everything is as it should be." Jasper snorted at her arrogance.

"And yet you cower like a dog whenever you hear our Master's voice?" Fire appeared in her eyes at his allegation.

She shot up from the bed to stand nose to nose with her fallen brethren. "Do not anger me. While I am at the top, the little human you seem to be so fond of is at the bottom. And life is so hard at the bottom." His anger flared at her threat.

"You will not harm Alice!" He commanded, knowing that in doing so he'd given away his feelings for the small, black haired human.

Sensing her victory, Rosalie took a step back. "Don't worry, Ba'al. Your little girl is not my concern. I have my hands full with the eldest Cullen son."

"You were able to influence him?" He asked, wanting to return the conversation back to their task and away from his relationship with the Brandon girl.

"Yes, I have him so far under my command he would sacrifice his own mother to appease me. It took very little effort to get him to turn on his brother. His father was just as easily influenced."

"And the vessel?"

"As I said before, he was suitably reminded that he is alone. Oh, and _she_ was there." Fear gripped Jasper's heart. The prophecy hinged on _The Swan_ , her presence was not to be taken lightly.

"What was she doing there? What did you say to her?"

"Be calm." Astarte demanded. "She is doing our work for us. She was there as his friend. She left when Emmett and his father turned on the boy. It's obvious she has feelings for him. It will make the Master's task that much easier."

"I hope you're right. Our souls depend upon this working as planned. Now, let us complete the call and tell him of our good news." Jasper picked up the chalice to begin the summons. Her bravery having fled for the moment, Rosalie quietly joined him and began the ritual.

* * *

That dinner didn't go as planned. Poor Esme, all she wanted was a nice family meal.

Keep the reviews coming, I love hearing from you!

Have a great week and stay safe.

ruinedbyrob


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** A bit of a warning, there's a lemon in this one and it might be a tad shocking to a few of you. I'll be around if you have a question. The consensus of the reviews is that you all feel Jasper/Ba'al is one creeptastic dude and Rosalie/Astarte is a bitch on wheels. I totally agree!

Much love to my team; Sazzledazzled, Mullet86 , Edwardsfirstkiss and 2brown-eyes.

 **Disclaimer:** SM owns Twilight. But I own this plot and all of the writer's block that comes with it.

 **The Devil's Plan**

Chapter 7

 _Veggie Pie and Bubble Bath_

"Please, with a cherry and whipped cream on top?" Despite the melancholy that had been hanging over her head since the ill-fated dinner at the Cullen house, Bella couldn't help but chuckle over Alice resorting to a kindergarten playground type of plea.

"Really? A whole cherry, all to myself? Hmmm, I don't think that has happened since we became friends," she said lightly while playing with the satiny fringe of her blanket.

"You usually snatch it up without a word."

"Bellaaaa, just say yes!" Alice bellowed over the phone, causing Bella to hold it away from her ear lest she suffer hearing damage.

As much as she didn't relish the thought of spending more time watching Alice and Jasper develop their truly creepy relationship any further, Bella had spent about as much time as she could without losing her mind, trying to figure out what had happened at the Cullen's home two nights ago.

She'd finished their homework Saturday afternoon and had sent it to Edward, waiting in vain to receive a response from him. When none came perhaps she should have taken it as a sign that he didn't want to talk or that he didn't want to be friends, but Bella Swan was as stubborn as she was sweet. She'd set her mind to being Edward Cullen's friend, and that's just what she would be. Whether he liked it or not.

"Hey, did you fall asleep?" Alice's question shook Bella out of her thoughts.

"What? No. I was just thinking."

"Still worried about Edward?" Maybe it was because they thought of each other as sisters or because she was out of ideas as how to make Edward smile, Bella had spilled her guts to Alice, hoping that she would take a break from mooning over Jasper and help her. So far, neither had happened.

"Maybe." She neither confirmed nor denied Alice's assumption.

"Well, _maybe_ if you let it go for an hour or so, something will come to you? C'mon, I really need you two to get along."

"Fine!" Bella rolled her eyes as the sounds of Alice's clapping and squealing barely managed to not pierce her eardrums.

"We're going to have so much fun! Meet us at _Shakey's_ in an hour. Love you, bye."

"Love you too," Bella said to herself as the line went dead. Heaving a sigh of frustration, Bella got off her bed and went to take a shower. Apparently, she had a dinner date with her best friend and the blond guy that meant so much to her.

~~TDP~~

"Good evening, Bella. I'm delighted you decided to join us." Bella resisted the urge to shudder when Jasper's clammy hand grasped her hand in greeting.

"Um, yeah. Thanks for inviting me." Bella discreetly wiped the hand that Jasper had shaken onto her pant leg before pulling out the chair opposite of Alice, sitting down, shucking off her coat and picking up a menu, carefully avoiding Jasper's eyes.

"Alice, are we ordering our usual pitcher of Cherry Coke?" Alice started to nod excitedly, but stopped when Jasper shook his head from his seat beside her. Her shoulders drooped slightly as if she'd just been quietly rebuked by a parent.

"Oh, I think I'm just going to have water." She muttered quietly nodding at the full glass in front of her. Bella's eyebrows shot up in question as Jasper smiled in approval. Ever since the two girls were allowed to eat out alone, all of two years ago, Alice had indulged in her love of sugary soda, with the usual suspects being Mountain Dew, Cherry Coke or Dr. Pepper.

Water was never Alice's first choice.

Bella's good humor was already on edge and watching her best friend change her personality at the behest of a boy had Bella's hackles up. She would not allow Jasper to influence her choices.

"Okay, well, I'm still going to have some and, oh, look, they have those awesome all meat calzones that we loved last year." Bella slammed shut her plastic-coated menu and tossed it onto the pleather red-checkered table cloth, pleased to be done with her dinner decisions.

"You don't think that a nice side salad and a portion of vegetarian pie would be a more healthy choice than a pocket filled with meat?" Jasper asked, leaning towards her, his blue eyes boring uncomfortably into hers. Unconsciously, Bella leaned back into her chair. Her fight-or flight response was engaged at his closeness.

"Yes, that sounds much healthier. Don't you agree, Bella?" Bella recoiled at the mechanical sound of Alice's voice. The misgivings about Jasper's and Alice's relationship pushed their way the forefront of her mind by the pair's strange comments.

Watching Jasper and Alice share a sappy glance was enough to push Bella over the edge.

"Why in the holy heck would we come here if we wanted to eat healthy? This is a _pizza_ place not an all you can eat organic salad bar." Bella stressed the word pizza for Jasper's benefit, before turning her full attention to her robotic best friend. Her patience for her friend's behavior was gone.

"Jesus, Joseph, and Mary Alice, when was the last time you chose a salad over a slice of greasy Italian goodness? And you _never_ drink water when soda is available especially when your mom is nowhere to be seen. Why are you acting so weird?" The events of the past forty-eight hours had taken their toll on the normally mild mannered Swan girl. If she couldn't crack the Edward Cullen code, she'd work on Alice.

Alice's eyes widened at Bella's outburst. "Uh, um, I-" Alice stammered before Jasper patted her gently on the hand, refocusing her attention back to him. Bella watched in mild disgust as her friend's breathing slowed and her blurry eyes refocused on Jasper. She couldn't hide her feelings as once again Jasper used his weird voodoo on her friend.

"Bella," Jasper began, in a tone the reminded Bella of how Charlie used to spoke to her when her child's brain couldn't grasp something he'd said. "I was just trying to be helpful. A young woman of child-bearing years such as your needs to take care of themselves. A healthy mother equals a healthy baby." Bella's mouth gaped at his words as Alice nodded absently in agreement.

" _Healthy baby_?" She repeated quizzically. "Are you nuts? I'm only seventeen years old. I can assure you that there's no baby on this horizon. And just where do you get off even talking to me like that? You don't know me." The weirdness of the conversation weighed on her. She looked at Alice for support; surely her best friend could see that he'd crossed a line. To Bella's utter dismay, Alice was staring at Jasper's profile as if awaiting her next instructions.

"Calm yourself, Bella." His tone was even, much like one would sound as they spoke to a spooked animal. "I was only trying to prepare you for your future role as a mother. Mothers must make good choices. Sometimes young females of this time forget the roles they are ultimately put on this plane to fulfill. I meant nothing by it. Alice understands. Don't you my lovely?" Alice smiled and nodded as if her head was being manipulated by a puppeteer's strings.

"Yes, Bella, what we put into our bodies will determine if the seeds we plant will grow and bear healthy fruit. Jasper was only speaking truthfully. It would be selfish to not heed his advice." Bella's mouth fell open and her eyes blinked slowly as she tried to comprehend what Alice had just said.

"Are you playing with me? Is this some kind of hidden camera thing? Is some bald dude going to rush out from the kitchen screaming, _Gotcha_?" Please let that be the case she silently hoped while looking around the packed restaurant.

"I assure you, bringing a healthy son into this world is no joke. You must take greater care with yourself." Hearing Jasper's authoritarian tone pushed Bella's last button.

"Okay, that's it, I'm done." Bella grabbed her coat and pushed her chair out preparing to leave.

"Wait!" Her narrowed eyes met Jasper's demanding stare.

"Oh, no. You may have _her_ under your spell, but not me. I'm my own woman." Her slender finger pointed at the visibly surprised Jasper. "Don't _you_ ever try to order me around again. I've got my eye on you, Jasper Hale. And Alice, you need to get your head out of the clouds or your butt, I don't even know what to say to you. Enjoy your water and _veggie pie_." Bella muttered before grabbing her coat and leaving the restaurant in a huff. She knew that there would be hell to pay from Alice, but at the moment she couldn't find it in her to care. She'd reached her boiling point.

Something weird was going on Bella mused as she drove the three miles home from the restaurant. As near as she could figure out it all began when school had started, or more importantly when Jasper and his Barbie Doll of a sister had shown up in Forks. Whatever was going on with the Cullen family had obviously started before they'd arrived in town, but she couldn't shake the feeling that somehow Rosalie's presence at dinner had caused things to escalate. Therefore, Bella would continue to conclude that the two blond strangers were at fault. At least in some way.

Bella turned her car into the driveway and visibly sighed at the sight of Charlie's cruiser parked in front on the mailbox. She knew that by now Charlie would be laid out prone in his Lazy Boy recliner with the TV on and a beer sitting on the end table. With the weirdness and downright turmoil she'd seen and experienced in the last forty-eight hours, Bella was grateful for the predictability that was Charlie Swan.

 **~~TDP~~**

Ba'al was not happy with how his evening had ended. He had anticipated establishing influence over Bella Swan. While he had hoped for a bit of a challenge as Mary Alice had fallen much too easily, he'd been wholly unprepared for Isabella's fierce resistance. Ignoring the blank looks of Mr. and Mrs. Hale, the random couple he and Astarte had entranced into acting as their guardians, he stomped up the stairs of their upper middle-class home, in the manner befitting the seventeen-year-old boy he was currently pretending to be.

"Astarte!" He bellowed as he entered the top floor of the Hale's home.

"In here _brother_." Clenching his fists in repressed anger, he pushed open the door to the master suite finding it empty. "Astarte!" He yelled again.

"I'm in the bath!" Astarte's agitated voice rang out from the Hale's master bath. Grunting in frustration, Ba'al strode over to the door, throwing it open so hard that the door banged loudly against the wall.

"Something wrong?" Astarte asked coolly with an obvious smirk as she continued her bath. Ba'al closed his eyes as the calming scents of the candles she'd lit around the room wafted through the open door. His followers had often employed such aromatics in their worship of him. Perhaps more so in Astarte's case as she actually had a temple where her followers could worship and pray. He was more of a drop to your knees wherever and pray kind of a deity. Breathing in the lavender and jasmine scented air; his eyes darted to the luxurious spa tub that held his bathing sister. She'd fully embraced the humans' habit of regular bathing and to his utter bewilderment, the act of exfoliation.

"There is _much_ wrong with this scene." He replied before walking closer to the tub taking in the nude body of the blond goddess as she lifted a long, tanned and completely hairless leg out of the bubble bath and rubbed the familiar shape of a sea sponge over her smooth skin. "But this is by far the least upsetting moment of my day."

"Come, wash my back and tell me what happened tonight with The Swan." Astarte smiled coyly, before turning to offer him her back. She knew the mundane task of attending her in the bath would calm his mind.

Sighing, Jasper took up the offered sponge and began scrubbing her back, careful to not press too hard, knowing that Astarte was not one to enjoy having her flesh marred. As the warm, lemon scented water cascaded off her shoulders and back, he could feel his shoulders and neck feel less hardened. He believed the humans called it _tension_.

"What has you so vexed?"

"I believe that I am experiencing what the mortals call, stress." Laughing, Astarte turned to look at him over her shoulder.

"Oh, my poor, poor Ba'al. Join me. These humans have very little to compare to the opulent baths of our time, however this one is quite relaxing. Come." She beckoned with a long manicured finger and a seductive smile.

Wanting to remove the stain of the night's failure, a once revered demigod of the Canaanites, dropped the sponge and stood to remove his clothes. Astarte continued washing as clothing dropped to the floor. "It would appear that this plane agrees with you dear, _brother_." She commented as her eyes flicked to gaze appreciatively at his naked form.

Ba'al snorted at the assumption that his physique was due to their time on Earth. Before he'd been sentenced to Hell for his supposed misdeeds against God, Ba'al's body was the envy of all. His body was carved by the gods themselves. Even his time in the underworld hadn't diminished his lean, muscled form.

"Do you think I needed assistance?" He asked arrogantly as he settled into the tub opposite of the leering Astarte, allowing his eyes to close as his head rested on the ledge of the tub. The warm water lapped at his lean abdomen in soft waves as Astarte moved to straddle his lap. His hands instinctively settled on her hips as her hands stroked and kneaded his hard chest and broad shoulders.

Ba'al relished Astarte's weight on his lap. It felt comforting to have the weight of a woman once again settled against his body. As fertility gods, their very purpose had been to encourage propagation through sex. Whether it is for plants or animals, sustained life was their objective. While Ba'al's main purpose was to encourage growth of crops and granting life bringing rain, Astarte's was to produce feelings of lust and passion; thus ensuring the continuation of the tribe's blood lines. Her very presence was known to send her worshipers into a frenzy of sexual need, often ending in orgies.

Ever the malevolent host, Satan took great delight in preventing them from engaging in the very act they were designed for. In Hell, should they seek to find sexual release, they were immediately befallen with excruciating head pain. The pain would be so severe that both of them would routinely vomit for hours after attempting intercourse. They were not even permitted the freedom of _self-worship_ without experiencing pain.

"I've heard that humans often seek the release of muscle tightness in coitus. Shall we test the theory? It's been centuries." She crooned, moving her hips seductively against his awakening groin. Her immense need was clearly evident in the tone of her voice. Ba'al opened his eyes to reveal Astarte's plump, wet lips hovering over his own, opened in invitation. Their time on Earth so far had been quite busy and it hadn't occurred to either of them that sex was once again available to them. Wasting no time, Ba'al leaned up and took her lips into a fierce kiss. Their mouths met passionately as their bodies rubbed against each other. Each pass elicited a moan of profound need.

"Did your Cullen tell you that?" Ba'al rasped before gripping her waist, pulling her hard against his swollen member. Astarte moaned loudly at the sensation. Her head hung down low against her chest as her body tried to absorb the pleasure emanating from her wet pussy.

"Did he?!" Ba'al demanded again with another hard tug on her hips. His jealousy over the human boy hit him suddenly and with a force that he couldn't recall ever feeling before in their previous life. Astarte had been with others of their kind as well as with a few humans; though those couplings were not spoken of in their circles. Ba'al as well had been with other goddesses though no humans had ever had the pleasure of his cock.

"No!" Astarte half screamed into the room as Ba'al increased the pressure on her swollen clit. She moved her hand down to grasp his fully distended member and moved quickly over the purplish, swollen head. His moan of pleasure made her smile. It thrilled her to know that he was just as affected by their connection as she was.

Seeing her victorious smile, Ba'al moved to remove it and remind her who was in charge. "Are you sure you haven't dallied with the boy? Have you allowed him to worship at this altar?" His fingers entered her with such force that her body momentarily recoiled from his intrusion before rocking fully into his moving fingers.

"Answer me, Astarte! Have you had him inside you?" Her hand fell away from him as her impending orgasm closed in on her.

"No!" She cried repeatedly. Her long nails curled into his shoulders as she searched for something to hold onto before her control was gone completely. Satisfied that she was telling the truth, Ba'al moved to end their torture. Astarte's face fell momentarily when he removed her fingers but quickly recovered as he positioned his swollen member at her waiting entrance and finally filled her.

They had been so long without gratification that it wouldn't take long before they both found their end. And now that they knew Satan's punishment couldn't reach them on this plane, Ba'al planned to indulge in their passions as often as possible.

Water sloshed against the sides of the large tub onto the pristine floor tiles with their hurried motions.

Words were unnecessary as they found their mutual pleasure. No endearments were uttered; dirty talk or demands were heard. Only the groaning and the sound of their wet skin slapping and sliding against each other in hungry need echoed into the otherwise quiet room. The flames of the candles Astarte had set around the room slowly began to flicker out one by one, casting shadows of the frenzied couple onto the walls of their borrowed home as the two demigods satisfied a need that had been denied to them for centuries.

Ever the diva goddess, Astarte moved quickly out of the cooling bath to the large shower. Spent and satisfied, Ba'al remained in the tub, watching her rinse the residue of their mingled fluids off her supple body. Sensing his member reacting to the sight and knowing that Astarte would not consent to another fucking after she'd already cleansed herself, Ba'al moved his thoughts back to the very matter that had him stressed the first place; _The Swan Prophecy._

Ba'al rubbed a wet hand over his face resuming his earlier lounging position, and allowed his mind to wander. He had made little if any headway on either of his tasks. Both Edward and Isabella had proved to be stronger minded than he'd given them credit for. So far his influence had not been accepted by either. In fact, he thought, they both seemed to dislike him. The girl's dislike being clearly evident while the boy's appeared to be more frightened than dislike, though he was sure it would soon turn that way. He groaned out loud as Bella's parting words from the restaurant resounded in his head.

"Still stressed?" Ba'al opened his eyes at her question. Now clean, she had moved to the low stool that sat at the bathroom counter and was applying a thick cream to her legs. Still naked, her body was on full display and Ba'al took advantage of the sight, his eyes drinking in her pleasing form as she bent over, displaying her plump ass. Astarte had always been beautiful; he was pleased that their time in Hell hadn't done any permanent damage to her body.

"I'm concerned that I may not be able to influence the girl." As they were in this mess together and would both be punished if they failed, he saw no point in not telling her the truth. "She is very strong minded for a female. A _human_ female." He added quickly at Astarte's raised eyebrow. He laughed lightly as she went back to her ministrations. "She is the key and I cannot get to her."

"I thought that was the point for you to become so close to the _other one_?" Ba'al did not miss the slight tinge of jealousy when Astarte spoke of Alice. It was quite nice to know that she too was experiencing the same base emotion over his relationships as he was over hers with the older Cullen boy.

"It was but so far, it's not enough. I thought having Alice persuade her to meet us for a meal was a good sign, but by end of the evening she was just as angry at Alice as she was at me. I don't know how useful Alice will be."

"Perhaps it's Alice that is the problem?" Astarte mused before turning away from him to brush her hair.

"How do you mean?" Ba'al asked, while toweling himself off. The water had grown too cold for his liking.

Astarte's eyes met his in the mirror. "Perhaps Isabella is fearful of the influence you have over her friend. You have changed the girl's very personality and it may be upsetting for her. These females are not keen to turn themselves completely over to their males. Bella may somehow, sense that your influence is unnatural. In other words, lay off a little."

Ba'al knotted the thick towel at his hip and walked over to Astarte. Taking the brush from her hand, he took up the task of running the soft bristles through her thick hair as he'd seen her attendants do many times. "You're saying that my influence is too strong and that the change in her friend's personality is frightening to the girl, thus making her less likely to trust me?" Astarte nodded before closing her eyes, relishing his attention. Ba'al continued to brush her hair as he processed her words. It's true that Bella's demeanor toward her friend had become negative when Alice was fully under his power and yet she had acquiesced to Alice's request that she join them for dinner. Bella still loved her friend but was weary of the way she acted when his power over Alice was too strong. Astarte was correct. He needed to pull back.

Laying the brush on the counter, Ba'al leaned down to kiss the smooth skin of Astarte's shoulder. "Your wisdom is much appreciated." He whispered against her lavender scented skin. "I think you deserve a reward." His mouth landed heavily on her lips, capturing Astarte's sudden moans of pleasure as his fingers swiftly entered her still swollen pussy and moved her towards another orgasm.

* * *

Ugh! I wish writing lemons got easier. So did anyone change their minds about Jasper? I'm willing to bet that's a big 'NO'. His creep meter just went to 11!

Let me know what you think.

Have a great week!

ruinedbyrob


	8. Chapter 8

Hello, lovelies. I hope you all had a great week. From the reviews it appears that the last chapter made quite an impact. Just remember, they're not really brother and sister. Another lemon in this one. I hope you're prepared!

Much love and gratitude to Sazzledazzled, Mullet86, Edwardsfirstkiss and 2brown-eyes. You guys are the Pumpkin Spice creamer in my coffee!

Disclaimer: SM owns Twilight but she lets me play around with her toys because we're tight like that.

* * *

 **The Devil's Plan**

Chapter 8

 _Best Laid Plans and Wiki Notes_

The constant screams of the damned were giving Satan a headache. It was times like these when he missed Heaven the most. Before his fall, Satan had cursed the absolute silence of Paradise. He used to delight in disturbing the peace and stillness his brothers thrived on. Raising his voice to ear-drum shattering volumes and stomping his feet were two favorite tactics for throwing his brethren off their game. Even angels needed to let off a little steam now and then. But of course that sort of thing was reserved for his father's mortal children. They'd been granted free will to be as loud and obnoxious as they wanted, and yet his angelic siblings remained utterly silent, expected to never stray from their path or question their father's orders. Satan's snarl erupted loudly and mingled with the din of the imprisoned.

"Fucking humans!" He roared into the nearly empty hall. They were the root to all of his problems and by happenstance, the route to his re-entrance to heaven. That was of course if Ba'al and Astarte did their jobs.

"FUCK!" His fist slammed down onto the heavy stone table, echoing his frustration throughout the large hall.

Sensing their master's unhappiness, his attendants quickly moved to stand before him.

"Sire, do you require assistance?" The nearly naked redheaded woman inquired, lowering her eyes to the floor as did her blonde counterpart.

Satan took in the humans. As his close attendants, they were treated much better than the scores of souls in the trenches. He allowed them to keep their hair and skin fully intact as well as daily feedings so that they maintained a pleasing figure. He may be the King of Hell, surrounded by the most wretched and putrid beings that existed, but he still enjoyed having something pretty to look at, or play with.

"Come closer." He beckoned them both, delighting in the fear and reluctance in their eyes. He enjoyed knowing that though they hated it, they would submit to his every whim.

"You." He pointed to the redhead. He believed her human name was Victoria. Her crime, minor in comparison to the rest of the filth in Hell, had been to assist her abusive boyfriend with several armed robberies, one which ended in an innocent's death at the hands of the boyfriend.

"On your knees. I desire your mouth." Again, fear filled her eyes. Yet with wobbly limbs she lowered herself to kneel in front of his parted legs. He didn't have to give her direction as she'd been used this way before. As the redhead moved to free his erection, he gave the blond her orders.

"Summon Aro, tell him to bring the Cygnini scroll." The blonde's eyes never met his as she scurried away to do his bidding.

"Harder girl!" He ordered Victoria. "I will have my release three times before the fraud arrives or you will find yourself spending time in the third ring." He smiled as the suction on his member increased. With hooded eyes he watched his massive cock move in and out of her hot mouth. His dominance once again proven as he quickly released into her mouth.

"Swallow and continue." He ordered before leaning back into this chair so he could fully enjoy her ministrations.

"You wished to see me, Sire?" Satan opened his eyes and smirked as Aro's lecherous stare focused on Victoria's mouth as she cleaned his sated cock.

"She's quite beautiful isn't she?" Satan baited his prisoner.

Aro's Adam's Apple bobbed as he swallowed thickly. He'd been caught ogling the king's plaything and he would most probably be punished for it.

"Yes, sire. She's very beautiful." He answered quickly, his eyes now averted from the nearly naked woman.

"Talented too." Satan boasted to the clearly affected Aro. "Victoria, my sweet, you did very well." Victoria nodded and smiled in appreciation of her master's praise. Satan rarely, if ever gave compliments. Even more rarely was praise given without a catch. With a watchful eye on Aro's reaction, Satan leaned forward and took Victoria's mouth in a bruising kiss. A trail of saliva fell from her lips as he pulled back.

"I think I would like to see your face as you come to completion." He ran a finger down her pale cheek and throat to land on her left breast, flicking her tight nipple, delighting in her moan and the shiver that coursed through her body at the contact. Today he was in his previous angel's visage. He knew that his servants found this particular guise very attractive. Victoria was no doubt reacting to the thought of him fucking her in this form.

"Jane," He called to the blond. "Take Victoria and pleasure her with your fingers until she comes and then again using only your tongue."

Victoria's face fell slightly at knowing she would not gain her pleasure from him. "Jane," he continued, pointing at the table directly in front of him. "Lay her on the table so I may watch." Both girl's eyes lit up at his words. Jane's in worry as now she would be performing for her master and Victoria's in excitement.

As the girls moved to the table that sat directly in front of his throne, Satan returned his attention to Aro, smiling evilly at the noticeable reaction the man's thin tunic was unable to contain.

"Aro," Satan said loudly, drawing the man's eyes back to him and away from the two writhing girls. "They are not for your entertainment." He snapped angrily. "Tell me again of the prophecy. And be quick about it, I may still wish to fuck them." The girl's groans became louder at the prospect.

"Sire, I'm no expert on this particular prophecy, Ba'al is-"

"Did I ask you for your level of knowledge?" Aro shook his head. "Then why do you feel the need to remind me? Ba'al is not here, so you will have to do."

Aro had been a revered soothsayer in his time. He'd brought ancient kingdoms to their knees with his predictions and had reaped untold rewards. His heart had been true until the young lord he'd been serving offered him untold riches and the company of young women. Once corrupted, his greed had run unchecked for decades and his wealth continued to grow until the voices stopped. Soon Aro's standing diminished as did his mounds of gold. When the Devil appeared promising to help restore his status, Aro jumped at the chance, not realizing that his soul was the price.

Resigned to his fate, Aro unrolled the ancient parchment and began to read. _"In the black hour before the rebirth, when the son of God is set to ascend to his throne, the dark seed must be fertilized and grown by the pure bird, halting the light's ascension thus bringing the reign of God to an end, and ushering in the ruler from the darkness."_

Aro paused as Victoria's moans of ecstasy resonated loudly throughout the stone chamber. The scent of her pleasure wafted to his nose, reminding him of the sweet essence that was woman. Having been denied his own sexual release for hundreds of years, being in the presence of such wild abandon was nearly his undoing. His body vibrated with the need to touch and be touched.

"Continue." The gruff order reminded Aro that he walked a thin line with this lord and that his usefulness in Satan's court was at the dark lord's whim and by far more desirable than anywhere else in this godforsaken pit.

Licking his lips, Aro continued with his translation. _"The Dark must be birthed by the last of the Light, thus extinguishing its hold on this plane forever. The Light must freely give her body for the planting or the seed will wither and die."_

"That is what I find most vexing, why must it be freely given?" Satan interrupted angrily. "Why should the vessel have any say in what happens? Why can't I just take what I want? Thus eliminating the need for this elaborate plan and my having to rely on those two _cockroaches_ to do their jobs." Satan didn't like having to rely on Ba'al or Astarte or anyone for that matter. Nor did he appreciate not being able to just take what he wanted.

Aro scanned the aged parchment, his eyes searching for words that would placate his lord while his fingers rebelled at the strange texture of the parchment. He briefly wondered whose skin had been donated to give the terrifying prophecy life. In his past he'd predicted the outcome of wars and had helped to build ruling dynasties without giving a thought past what he would gain. However, the words he now held in his hands told of a possible future that was truly horrific to behold. And his long forfeited soul ached with the knowledge of what it would mean if it were allowed to come to fruition.

"Aro…" Satan issued a low growl in warning. His patience was at its end.

"Sire," he said humbly while swallowing the bile that had collected in his throat. "To give you that answer, I will need to study the prophecy further. I'm but a vessel who repeated your verse, I have no real talent other than the ability to decipher words." Aro pleaded.

Satan emitted a hearty laugh that filled the chamber. "Aro, you were a true oracle. I was just able to make you doubt yourself and thus gaining the soul of one of God's prophets."

Aro fell heavily to his knees with the knowledge. His mind screamed at the truth while his hands fisted in helplessness.

Smiling at his servant's obvious anguish, Satan stood up from his throne and began removing his clothes. "All I had to do was throw young pussy your way, and you were all too eager to stop listening to God's voice and begin heeding mine. Your soul was perhaps one of my easiest acquisitions." Naked and erect, the dark lord strode past the kneeling and silent Aro, to where Jane was still vigorously tonguing Victoria's weeping pussy. Satan roughly grabbed onto Jane's hips, ignoring her squeal of surprise, spearing her with his hard cock. Both girls moaned loudly in pleasure as his steady and purposeful thrusts brought each of them renewed bliss.

"I will give you the time to study the prophecy further. After all, I've waited centuries for The Swan to be born." Satan uttered between thrusts. Shaking, Aro got up from the floor and with his head down, he slowly made his way out of the room. He'd just reached the doorway when his name was called. Slowly he turned back towards his master. Satan was now pleasuring both girls. His cock relentlessly pounding into Victoria's plump ass while Jane rode his hand in abandon. Despite the lascivious acts displayed before him, his mind was filled with nothing but thoughts of disgrace and shame for turning from his God and falling for the Devil's tricks.

"Look carefully, Oracle. If there is another way other than having to gain the vessel's accession, I want to know immediately." Aro nodded and amidst the slapping of wet skin and lustful groans, he walked to his room to begin his lord's bidding. But not before he promised himself to also look for a way to thwart Satan's plans and save mankind and perhaps what was left of his soul.

 **~~TDP~~**

"I like Louie."

"Louie sounds like a fat and stupid mob lackey. I want something strong, like Zeus or Apollo. Wait, how about Thor?" The ears of the puppy in question twitched excitedly at the tone of Emmett's voice. "See, he likes it. Don't you Thor?" Emmett giggled like a four year old as the puppy licked his face.

"Thor sounds like a man-bimbo who can't spell." Edward interjected loudly. "How about Kodi? Short for Kodiak. I mean look at him, he looks like a bear cub." Edward leaned over and scooped the fluffy puppy off the floor, cuddling him tightly to his chest.

Esme and Carlisle shared a rare smile as they watched their boys delight in the new member of the Cullen clan. There had been only one discussion regarding the family getting a puppy and it had consisted of Esme walking into her husband's office /hideout on Saturday morning, slamming down an advertisement for Chow Chow puppies onto his desk and telling him to get his car keys and check book.

After watching her two boys laugh and get along at Friday night's dinner before dissolving back into the mess they'd both been for the last six months, Esme was more determined than ever to find a way to bring them back together. Their shared memories of the little black mutt from their childhood had united her boys and she wanted that back. Even if it meant replacing all the carpet in the house after potty training, she _would_ have her boys back.

"I like Kodi." Edward smiled at his mother's agreement before returning to cuddling the fuzzy pup.

"Dad, it's up to you. You know Thor is the right choice." Emmett encouraged with a conspiring wink.

Carlisle looked at both of his boys and smiled. Seeing them this way made the ache in his heart a little less painful. He knew he was partly to blame for a lot of the pain they'd been experiencing and that reality plagued him daily. And yet he couldn't bring himself to let go of the guilt that kept him distanced from his family. Carlisle sighed and moved his gaze to rest on his youngest son. The dark circles and premature stress wrinkles around his eyes that had been a permanent fixture on his handsome face seemed less visible today. Today he looked every inch the seventeen-year-old boy he was. The happiness that emanated from Edward's face was a wonderful sight. As were the smiles on his wife and oldest son's faces. He'd hurt them all with his past actions. Reaching over, he put an arm around his wife's shoulders and pulled her in close to his side. Along with the damage to his relationship with his children, the lost intimacy with his wife hurt him deeply. Esme sighed heavily as her body melted into his, raising her eyes to meet his in silent understanding. For a moment they shared a glance that bespoke of the love they had for each other and their children.

"Both names are good. But I have to agree with Edward, Thor sounds a like a guy who would wear tight pants and boots with heels. I think Kodi is much more fitting for the little guy." Carlisle leaned down to scratch the puppy's ears before placing a soft hand on Edward's shoulder. "I think you've got a friend for life, son."

"I hope so, I could really use one." The smile on Carlisle's face withered at the sorrow in Edward's voice.

Carlisle searched for something to say to him. Friday's dinner popped into his head. He hated the way he'd acted. Hated the words he'd said to his son. In the heat of the moment it was a reaction to what Emmett, Esme, and he had lost due to the incident. Carlisle had given no thought to what Edward had lost. He would have to do better. He loved his son. He would have to make an effort to remember that Edward was the victim and if things had worked out differently, Carlisle would have seen that woman in jail for what she'd done. And then it would have been the Volturis that would have had to uproot their entire lives instead of his family.

"Dad, you're hurting me." Carlisle instantly released Edward's shoulder, not realizing that in his reverie he'd clenched his fingers in anger.

"Dear, are you alright?" Carlisle shook off Esme's concern with a nod and kneeled on the floor next to Edward and the newly named, Kodi.

Reaching out he gave the friendly pup a pat and was rewarded with a lick on his hand. Chuckling, he turned to his son. "You know, Isabella seemed to want to be your friend."

"She was just being nice. She needed the grade." Edward answered solemnly, keeping his attention on the squirming puppy.

"Son, if she just wanted the grade, she'd have done the work herself. That girl drove all the way out here and stayed to have dinner with a bunch of strangers. That's more than just wanting a grade." Edward tensed at the mention of the dinner. Carlisle couldn't blame him, it had been a disaster.

"Edward, I'm sorry about what happened. I didn't intend to come home and act like that. I shouldn't have said those things to you." Edward clutched the puppy tighter. As if he hoped to absorb some of the small animal's strength. Emboldened by Edward's seemingly willingness to listen, Carlisle continued to attempt to mend their torn relationship. "Son, what happened- I know it wasn't your fault."

"Then why do you constantly blame me?!" Edward's outburst scared the puppy who began to whimper. Edward instantly moved to soothe him. Carlisle looked to Esme to take Kodi so he and Edward could talk however the room was empty but for the three of them.

"I don't blame you." Carlisle knew his son was bearing the guilt of what had happened. He held back the urge to grab his son and cuddle him like Edward was the puppy, but he sensed that he wasn't ready for that yet.

"Yes you do. And so do Emmett and mom." Carlisle sighed, he knew Esme never blamed their son for anything except for not coming to them sooner. In reality, Esme blamed herself not Edward. Carlisle had a lot of mending to do.

"No, I know, _we all_ know who is to blame for this and it's not you. I promise to work on making sure you understand that."

Edward remained silent at his father's promise. He wanted to believe him but his actions over the past six months spoke otherwise. And he was having a hard time believing Carlisle's words now.

"Son, I mean it. I'm going to be home more often. I'm going to be here for all of you. I want us to be like we were before…" Carlisle didn't finish his sentence. He didn't need to. "Edward, I'm going to be the father that you deserve." He meant every word he said and hoped that his damaged son would come to accept what his words.

Never in Carlisle's fifty-two years did he remember feeling so afraid of being rejected as he did now, waiting for his son to accept his overdue apology.

"Okay." Carlisle's whole body sagged in relief at his son's whispered acceptance.

Sensing that it wouldn't be a good idea to quit while ahead, he decided to let the topic drop.

"Why don't you go get you brother and we'll make a list of things to get at Petco for Kodi? We'll all go together as a family."

"Okay." Edward shrugged, before getting up to search for his mother and Emmett.

 _Baby steps._ Carlisle reminded himself as he watched his son walk away.

 **~~TDP~~**

Bella's weekend had not improved much after returning home from the ill-fated dinner with Alice and Jasper. She still had no word from Edward and she'd begun regretting the words she'd said at the restaurant. Well, maybe not the words, she thought, but more the tone. Especially the tone directed at Alice. Her feelings hadn't changed when it came to Jasper. His words had filled her with rage and disgust. How dare he speak to her as if she were a child and suggest that her only purpose as a woman was to bear children. She'd known there was something wrong with him, but she hadn't guessed his weirdness stemmed from being born a hundred years too late for his warped thoughts about women and their roles in society. After thinking it over, Bella had decided to apologize to Alice. But not before she made it perfectly clear that she had no intentions of becoming besties with Alice's future baby daddy.

With that decided, Bella's thoughts had returned to the bronze haired boy with the sad smile. Having decided the operation, _Be Edward's Friend_ should commence immediately, Bella had spent the rest of her Sunday night formulating a plan.

 _Step one_ , she'd decided, was to stop acting like a complete doofus in biology class. It was the only period of the day she could be assured that he'd have to speak to her, thus allowing her to win him over with her charm and wit.

 _Step two_ , would be to work on developing some charm and wit. To that end Bella had _Googled_ how to do just that and was in possession of a Wikihow article detailing how to accomplish her goal.

With Alice as her best friend since kindergarten, Bella had never found it necessary to add more people to her inner circle. She didn't go out of her way to avoid speaking to the other girls in her class, she'd just never needed them for more than a borrowed pencil or to repeat an assignment. With the addition of Jasper to her and Alice's duo, she was regretting not having investing more time in gaining a few more friends that didn't have weird, controlling boyfriends. Yes, she thought, this plan was a good idea on all fronts.

Armed with determination and her Wikihow Cliffs notes, Bella put her plan into action.

"Hi, Angela. Do you mind if I sit with you today?"

Bella's determination wavered slightly as a piece of peanut butter and jelly sandwich fell out of the other girl's open mouth in surprise. "Of course not, Bella." The kindness that Angela was known for overtook her astonishment and she scooted over to allow Bella to sit down. "Is Alice sick today?" Angela's brown eyes quickly scanned the cafeteria.

Bella shrugged before taking the seat next to Angela. "Not that I know of. I just thought it would be nice to change things up a bit." Angela nodded in understanding when she spied Alice sitting in a corner table with Jasper.

"Sometimes it's easy to get caught up with a new relationship and forget the ones that we already have." Angela commented with a kind smile. Bella glanced up quickly and felt a twinge of sadness at the forlorn look on her friend's face but held steadfast with her plan.

"Yeah, well, I thought it would be nice to give them a little time and plus, I get to spend some time getting to know you guys. I can't believe we graduate in seven months. We may never see each other again." Angela accepted her explanation with a raised eyebrow before the other girls began a conversation that ranged from Halloween costume ideas to thoughts about who they might ask to the _Sadie Hawkins_ dance in December. Bella nodded enthusiastically as Angela, Siobhan and Maggie commented on the 'hotness' level that various boys in the school supposedly possessed, but kept her thoughts private when asked whether any boy had caught her eye. She was surprised and secretly delighted that none of the other girls brought up Edward. To them he was still a boy in the shadows, not yet even a mystery to be solved, leaving him all to Bella.

The bell rang, signaling the end of the lunch period. Bella threw away the remnants of her lunch and walked out with the other girls, avoiding any more looks towards Alice and tentatively made plans for a girl's movie weekend sometime soon.

With renewed purpose, Bella rushed towards room 157, wanting a minute to compose herself before Edward appeared. Under the guise of going over her presentation notes, Bella quickly scanned her _Wikihow_ cheat sheet for last minute pointers.

The din of her classmates wandering in disrupted her impromptu study session. Bella quickly hid the downloaded list and went about actually preparing herself for class.

"Hey, Bella-Lou-Who, did you have a good weekend? Mine sucked. Mom made me start getting the yard ready for winter and…" The rest of Mike's inane sentence melted into the background as the object of Bella's affections entered the room.

Edward's lips turned up slightly as his eyes landed on his lab partner. He'd grown so accustomed to the usual frown he'd almost forgotten what it felt like to feel joy at just being in someone's presence. Edward moved quickly through the classroom to take his place next to Bella.

"Hello, Bella." He greeted quickly, taking out his books and setting them upon the table before turning to her. "I want to thank you for all of the you did. I'm sorry, I wasn't more help." Edward's words were said in earnest. In truth, he'd meant to contact her but he'd felt such embarrassment after the disastrous dinner and then the excitement over the puppy had distracted him. He'd all but forgotten about their project until late Sunday afternoon when he'd found the paper Bella had written her email down upon. The fact that she had endured a Cullen meal and still wanted to have anything to do with him was encouraging. But the thought she would actually want to be his friend seemed absurd, after what he'd done, why would anyone choose to be friends with him?

Bella studied the motions playing on Edward's face. The smile that had appeared when he'd walked into the room seemed to fade as whatever had his eyebrows furrowed so tightly, erased his previous good mood. Bella quickly moved to put her plan into action.

"You're welcome. It really wasn't that big of a deal. I turned out having a lot of free time on Sunday." She hadn't meant to allow her feelings over the dinner with Alice to rear its ugly head but her face reflected them to the world.

"Are you sure? I really am a good student. I promise not to make you carry the team."

"Edward, you're a junior taking advanced biology. I'm in no way worried about you not pulling your weight." She assured him with a smile. All previous Alice thoughts were relegated to the rear of her mind as Edward nodded in what she hoped was gratitude as that could only help her with the whole friend thing.

"So did you have a nice weekend?" Bella asked, per her _Wikihow_ protocol sheet that suggested small talk was a good place to start.

"Actually it ended up being pretty decent." Bella raised an eyebrow hoping he'd keep the conversation going. "We, um, we got a puppy."

"Seriously? That's so cool. What kind, what did you name it…" Her exuberance was sincere. Having grown up with a very practical man for a father, Bella had been made to work her way to being a _dog mommy._ Her beloved _Dorian_ , a long haired, grey Persian cat, had joined, _Tom_ the gerbil and _Butch_ the lop-eared bunny in her backyard pet cemetery a scant year ago. Her new plan had been to hit her father up for a Christmas puppy. Edward's news was truly exciting to her.

"Well, he's a seven-week old Chow Chow, his name is Kodi and he's awesome. Would you like to come over after school to meet him?" Bella was barely able to nod her acceptance of his invitation before class was called to order.

"Good afternoon class." Mr. Banner greeted them. "I hope you enjoyed your first team project of the year. As part of the AP Biology curriculum, each team assignment is worth ten percent of your grade, and we'll have five throughout the semester. So it's very important that you're all able to function well as a duo. I'm not going to allow reassignments as in this class and life, you'll have to get along and work with people that aren't going to be the best fit. Life lessons, people. Now, who wants to go first?"

 **~~TDP~~**

"Do you want to follow me?" Bella stopped loading her book bag and looked at Edward.

"I know where you live." She reminded him with a chuckle, delighting in the slight blush that adorned his high cheekbones.

"Right." He admitted shyly. "Okay then I guess I'll see you there?"

"Yes. I'll finish getting my stuff together and then I'll be there." She promised.

"Okay, bye." Bella returned Edward's wave and with a satisfied smile on her face, she returned to packing up the things she needed to take home with her. She was quite happy with the way the day had turned out. As she walked out of the school and headed for her car, her mind flooded itself with her successes. She and Edward had presented their project, earning an 'A' for both of them and to top it off, Bella had gotten to touch Edward's shiny hair again without fear of being labeled a weirdo. She'd rekindled an old friendship with Angela and had opened a few doors for the possibility of developing new friendships. Yes, she thought to herself today had been full of win.

"Bella, can we talk?" Bella's balloon full of win popped at Alice's voice. In the afterglow of Edward's invitation to come over, Bella had forgotten all about her vow to fix things with Alice.

Bella's face fell at the sight of her best friend. Alice's normal pale pallor was even more noticeable against the dark circles under her eyes. "Hey," she said, reaching over to gently touch her best friend's arm. "are you okay? Did Jasper hurt you?" Alice gasped at Bella's question.

"No!" She exclaimed. "He's not the one who hurt me." Bella lowered her head at Alice's accusation.

"I'm sorry. I should have said something to you. I just, look, last night was awful." Alice's head nod encouraged Bella to continue. "I'm sorry I stomped off like that but I was angry. Did you hear what he said to me?" Alice remained silent. "He practically called referred to me as having no purpose in this life but to breed!" Bella's voice grew louder as she spoke. "I mean, really? In this day and age? And then he tries to dictate what I should eat?"

"I think you misunderstood him. He just wants us to be healthy." Bella raised an eyebrow at that ridiculous statement. "Alice, he's not my father. Nor is he yours." Alice's head shot up, her eyes meeting Bella's.

"What do you mean by that?" Alice demanded.

This was not going as Bella had planned but the cut has already been opened. "Don't you hear the words he says to you? Don't you see the way that you change around him? He talks to you as if you're a child and he's your parent. And you let him! You sit there with a ridiculously blank look on your face and you let him!"

"He cares about me!" Alice snapped.

" _I care_ about you but I don't treat you like a child and I've never tried to change you. You've known him for a handful of days and you've just given over your free will to him." The girl's verbal sparring had begun to draw the attention of the departing students. Groups of two and three students gathered to hear the two best friends quarrel with each other, no one noticed the two blond spectators tucked into the corner of the building.

"Little Alice is quite the spit fire" Jasper's fists clenched in frustration at the barb. Rosalie glanced at him over her shoulder with a smirk. "Are you sure that this is what you wanted? It would seem to me that your part of the plan would go much more smoothly if the two of them could bare each other's presence."

Taking a deep breath, Jasper willed his temper to abate. Her comments were meant to do nothing but irritate him, but she was right. Earlier today as Bella sat across the cafeteria with Angela, Jasper had spent the whole period consoling Alice and urging her to make things right with Bella. And yet after all of that hard work, here they were, making a spectacle of themselves in front of the rest of the children and pulling farther away from each other.

"I will have to redouble my efforts." Rosalie's snort of disbelief fueled his anger.

Jasper roughly grabbed Rosalie's chin, forcing her to look up at him. He'd had enough of her insolence.

"I said I will deal with it and I will!" Rosalie swallowed thickly, her neck straining in the unnatural position. "You would do well to remember who is in charge here, _sister_." He sneered, releasing his hold and striding down the hill to the parking lot where Alice now stood alone.

* * *

Do you think Carlisle will keep his word? And do we love Kodi or what? He's patterned after my own Kodi Bear.

Please take a moment and let me know what you thought about this chapter.

Have a great week and thank you for your support!

ruinedbyrob


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N** I owe all of you an apology. When I started TDP I planned to update every Sunday, but that was a silly move on my part because real life threw a giant snowball in my face and laughed at me. My family is going through a rough time right now and my free time has dwindled considerably. Eeking out time to write, edit and post has been difficult. BUT I still have several chapters pre-written and I will NEVER abandon my fics. I love to write and it's one of the few things that helps me de-stress. However, I have decided to change my updating schedule to every other week. I hope you all understand and will continue to support me and TDP.

Giant Eskimo kisses to my brilliant and supportive team; SazzleDazzled, Mullet86, Edwardsfirstkiss and 2brown-eyes. They're all volunteers and they all ROCK!

 **Disclaimer:** SM owns Twilight. And I still own a slightly overweight puppy that now thinks green beans are treats. She's dumb but I love her!

 **The Devil's Plan**

Chapter 9

 _Forgiveness and Puppy Pajama Pants_

"It was lovely to see you again, Bella. Please come back soon."

"Yes, please do. I think the house is just a bit brighter when you're here." Carlisle added from his position next to his wife. Esme smiled adoringly up at her husband.

"I will." Bella promised with a smile. This visit had been a one-hundred and eighty degree difference from the last. Not only was Carlisle already home when she and Edward arrived but he looked genuinely happy to be there. His interactions with his wife and son were nothing short of loving. Bella had seen the change in Edward at school, but hadn't expected to see it in the whole family.

"Do you want once last cuddle?" Edward asked, holding out the squirming puppy to her. Bella's face brightened instantly.

"Of course I do." She exclaimed, taking the bundle of fur from him. "Aren't you my favorite boy? Yes, you are. Yes, you are." Bella giggled as Kodi licked her face.

"I don't know who that puppy loves more, you or Edward." Carlisle commented with a laugh.

"I think it's hands down Edward," Bella said, handing the pup back to his owner. Kodi's happy wiggling intensified as he was once again placed in Edward's arms.

"He never wants to leave his side." Edward smiled at her comment and placed a sweet kiss on the pup's head.

"I guess that makes me a bit of a wuss?" Edward said, blushing slightly.

"No. Showing affection doesn't make you anything but genuine. You love him. It's nice." Bella assured him, reaching over to scratch the puppy's ear.

"Thank you," he said quietly. "And thank you for coming over. I don't have many friends here-actually you and this little guy are kind of it." Kodi snuffed softly as he napped in Edward's arms.

Bella's heart soared at Edward's statement. He considered her his friend. Of course she shared the distinction with a two-month-old puppy, but a friend nonetheless. "Maybe you could eat lunch with me tomorrow and you could meet Angela, Ben, Jessica, Alic..." Alice's face popped into Bella's mind, but she quicky pushed it back. After their blow-out in the school parking lot, Bella was afraid that her relationship with Alice may be permanently damaged. She'd have to do some repairs before introducing Edward into the mix.

Edward regarded Bella thoughtfully for a moment. "You know what?" He asked with enthusiasm. "I think I will join you tomorrow. It's time to let things go and live again." Bella wanted to ask what he had to let go as she strongly suspected that whatever it was had to be the cause of the family rift she'd witnessed last Friday. Instead she smiled warmly giving his arm a friendly squeeze and said, "That would be wonderful."

Edward watched Bella's car disappear down the driveway with a genuine smile on his face. "Kodi, I think things are finally looking up for me." Edward laughed as the puppy licked his face in agreement.

~~TDP~~

"Edward, it's time to get up! You need to feed and walk Kodi before school." Any other normal teenage boy in the entire world would have uttered any number of groans, moans and promises that he was getting up when his mother rapped on his bedroom door at six-thirty in the morning. And then roll back over for a thirty minute snooze, but Edward emitted no false promises, just a quick, "Yes, mom."

"Hey, little guy. If I have to get up, then so do you. Especially since you're the reason I have to wake up early." Edward poked the mass of fluff that had been snoozing next to him on his pillow, earning him several muffled grunts as the chubby pup struggled to roll over onto his back, yawning from the exertion. Securely in position for his customary morning belly rub, Kodi waited for Edward to get on with it.

"You're such a spoiled brat!" Edward fake protested as he lovingly rubbed and scratched the puppy's soft underbelly.

After Kodi had been walked around the back yard, fed and his water dish cleaned and filled, the two made their way back up the stairs to Edward's room. Edward walked slowly and spoke encouragingly as Kodi struggled to keep up with him on his short puppy legs. While Kodi took a quick detour into Emmett's room hoping for another round of belly rubs, Edward showered and brushed his teeth.

"Hey buddy." Edward greeted his four-legged friend as he walked across the floor to his closet. "What are we in the mood for today?" Kodi never offered an opinion on his favorite human's wardrobe choices, only tweaking his ears at the question before lying down onto the soft carpet to watch his boy get dressed with sleepy eyes.

With his book bag in hand and four-legged best friend in tow, Edward walked to the front door, bending down and scooping Kodi into his arms. "Be a good boy and I'll see you in a little while." He promised. The puppy's whining started almost immediately.

"Be good." Edward uttered into Kodi's fur not missing the look of compassion his mother was giving him.

In just a few short weeks, the two had become nearly inseparable and the change in Edward was incredible. In truth the whole family dynamic had changed. There were still bad days, Emmett continued having problems with the football coach and Carlisle still struggled to work within a small town healthcare system.

But Edward was finally showing the improvements Esme had hoped for when they'd first moved to Forks. Darkness still lurked in his green-eyed depths. She could see it, especially when one of the other family members was having a rough day and as they seemed to take their aggravation out on Edward. When one of those days occurred she'd find him huddled in his bed staring blankly into his dark room. It broke her heart to see him still struggling with so much guilt. Thankfully he did have good days when he was too busy with Kodi and his friendship with Bella to allow the guilt to overtake him.

"He'll be fine, baby." Esme promised, taking the sad little fur ball from Edward's arms. "Have a good day and don't forget about your appointment with Dr. Tanner, after school." Edward nodded with a small smile. In a fit of puppy excitement, he'd agreed to start seeing the therapist that his mother had found in Port Angeles. Today would be his third visit.

"I remember."

"Okay, we'll be waiting for you." Esme waved the puppy's paw at him. Edward laughed as Kodi tried to squirm out of his mother's arms to get back to him. It filled Edward with happiness to know that he was the center of that being's world.

"Thanks to you I might just get my boy back." Esme cooed to the puppy in her arms as they watched their boy drive away.

~~TDP~~

"Are you going to eat that?" Bella shook her head at Ben and handed over the rest of her fries.

"You know you need to talk to her," Angela said.

Bella's head landed on her folded arms in a thump. "I know." From her position, hunched over the lunch table, Bella had a clear view of Alice and Jasper in the far corner of the crowded cafeteria. "I don't know what to say. The last time we spoke was a disaster."

Angela's brown eyes filled with empathy. The two girls' parking lot fight had been the talk of the school for days. It still would be if Tyler's van hadn't slipped on ice and taken out the side of the principal's car, replacing them as the hot topic of the day. "Just say what you feel." Angela urged.

Bella rolled her head to the side, giving Angela an exaggerated eye roll. "Okay. I'll just say, 'Hey, Alice I love you but you've been acting like a Stepford Wife on crack, your boyfriend creeps the pudding out of me and I think he might be an alien." Bella had decided that no seventeen-year-old boy in this time period would speak in the manner the Jasper did. Therefore, she'd concluded he must be either a time traveler or an alien. Alien sounded more probable.

"Yeah, say that." Angela mocked with an accompanying eye roll.

"Ugh!" Bella slouched more into her seat and once again dove for the cover of her crossed arms.

"What's wrong?" Angela and Ben shared knowing looks as Bella instantly perked up when Edward walked up to their table. With a mouth full of cheese pizza, Ben scooted over, making room for Edward to set his lunch down across from the now smiling Bella.

"Hey, Edward. She's just trying to find a way to tell Alice that her boyfriend gives her the heebie-jeebies." Angela playfully nudged the unamused Bella. Edward looked around the room, his eyes settling on the couple in question.

"Ah, Jasper. I get what you mean. He's, um, he's a bit strange." His voice and facial expression piqued Bella's attention. She hadn't been aware that Edward had any classes with Jasper.

"Do you have classes with him?" Edward put down the sandwich he'd just bitten into and wiped his mouth on his napkin before answering her question.

"No, but he cornered me in the library a couple of weeks ago." Bella's mind instantly jumped to the day of Edward's hallway melt-down. Feeling emboldened by the forward movement their friendship had taken these last couple of weeks, Bella decided to test their bond and ask him about in biology.

"I don't know him either and it sounds as if I don't want too," Angela commented, taking a long drink of her water.

"I don't care about him, but I'd like the chance to get to know his super-hot sister." Ben waggled an eyebrow in Rosalie's direction, earning him a frown from Angela. Bella surveyed the girl's face and instantly recognized her expression as the same one that had been appearing on her face since nearly the first time she'd laid eyes on Edward Cullen. Angela and Bella were both card-carrying inhabitants of the _Friend Zone_ Club _._ PoorAngela had been there pretty much since forever or third grade. The year Ben's family had moved to Forks.

Bella watched Angela's face fall, each time Ben missed another subtle clue she threw at him. Bella sincerely hoped Edward wasn't as dense as Ben seemed to be. Her hope was to slowly make Edward see that she was girlfriend material. She was still working on how exactly to accomplish that task. While she figured it out, she would do what she could to help Angela.

"Good luck, Romeo. You'll have to fight Emmett for her." Bella laughed as Ben's leer was replaced with a look of true fear.

"Dude, is that true?" Ben asked Edward. "Your brother already claimed her?"

Edward nodded his mouth full of sandwich. "Yeah, they've been practically inseparable since school started." Edward took another bite not wanting to discuss his brother's unfriendly girlfriend. As much as he tried, he failed to understand how someone who didn't even know him seemed to go out of her way to make things difficult. Every time he and Emmett took a step forward, even a small step, Rosalie would show up and the next thing he knew, Emmett was mad at him again. The only time he and Emmett seemed to get along was when they were playing with Kodi.

"I've met her. She wasn't very friendly." Angela added.

"That sucks!" Ben complained, slumping into his chair. "I can't stand mean girls."

Bella didn't miss Angela's smirk.

~~TDP~~

As was their new custom, Edward and Bella walked together to biology after lunch, but Bella waited until they were in their seats before pouncing.

"Edward, that day that you had the uh…" She struggled with how to politely put his attack. "The day you had to leave school early, was that the day Jasper spoke to you?" Edward's face flushed, and he looked away to the side of the table. He knew that eventually Bella would ask about that day. He'd tried to prepare some glib answer to placate her, but from their time together he knew that Bella wasn't the kind of girl to just let something to go. He just wished fate would have given him a little more time.

"Uh, yeah." He kept his eyes averted from her soul-searching gaze.

"You were having a panic attack or something weren't you?" She leaned closer as she softly voiced her question. Their classmates were starting to enter the room, and she didn't want them to hear.

"Yes." He said simply, still hoping she would drop it.

"Was the attack because of what he said?" Her mind reached for anything that might explain how the words of a stranger could have affected him so much.

"Yes."

"Do you want to talk about it? He said some things that really bothered me too. That's why I've been avoiding him. Plus, he's got some kind of hold on Alice that is not normal or okay. Maybe we could figure him out together?" Her offer made Edward smile but telling her about what he'd done was not an option. Her friendship was much too precious to him to jeopardize it by her learning what had happened in Seattle. She would hate him and he simply couldn't bear that.

Instead he chose to focus on her. "He said something to you? What did he say?"

Bella sighed, knowing that his question was a stall tactic but realizing that she might need to give before she got anything back. "Basically, he said that my only purpose on Earth was to make babies, and then tried to lecture me on how to take care of myself so I could fulfill that function. Can you believe that? Can you believe that someone our age would be thinking about having children? How ridiculous! First of all, I'm NOT just a baby machine and second who in their right mind wants a baby as a teenager? I can barely take care of myself much less a completely dependent infant." She was so caught up in her anger; she didn't notice the color drain completely from Edward's face when she mentioned teens having babies.

"This is the 21st Century! Where did he come from to think so archaically?" Bella's rant continued until the Mr. Banner called the class to order. With a sheepish grin, she silently acknowledged that she'd gotten a little carried away with her speech. Edward gave her the best smile he could muster before lowering his head to his book. He missed Bella's perplexed look, though he figured it was there. Mr. Banner's excited descriptions about their next subject kept Bella occupied until the end of class. Edward's mind was consumed with his past and what it meant for his future. Would he be able to get past what he'd done? Would his family? After hearing Bella's speech how could he ever expect her to understand? Edward's stomach churned with the remorse he carried around on a daily basis, threatening to bubble over. Folding his hands over his stomach, Edward tried to hold himself together until the end of class.

"So, I'll meet you at your house?" Bella asked as she gathered her books from the lab table.

Edward mimicked her actions and packed his books away. "Um, actually I can't hang out with you today." He began moving towards the aisle, leaving a confused Bella in his wake. They'd been spending almost every Friday afternoon for the last three weeks playing with Kodi and fitting in a bit of homework here and there, but this week his usual Wednesday appointment had been moved to Friday. He'd forgotten about the switch until his mother had reminded him on his way out of the house this morning and had completely overlooked telling Bella. She quickly looked to him for an explanation but got nothing but a view of the top of his head as he packed his book bag.

Bella's face got warm at what she perceived as rejection. She licked her lips nervously, her intentions of getting Edward to share his Jasper story gone. All she wanted now was to know why he didn't want her to come over. "Why?" She asked quietly.

"I have an appointment after school." He answered quickly, avoiding the look of hurt in his friend's eyes. Edward knew that he owed her a better explanation. He also knew that he wasn't ready to give one especially after learning how she felt about teen parents.

"Have a good weekend, I'll see you on Monday," he said before leaving the room for his next class.

Edward hurried out of the room and away from the memories that Bella had unwittingly brought up.

~~TDP~~

"So Edward, how would you like to start?" Dr. Tanner asked with a friendly tone that grated on his young patient's nerves.

Edward gave a shrug of indifference and shifted on the leather couch inwardly giving himself a high-five every time his movement produced a false fart sound. Emmett would have been so proud of him he thought as he avoided answering the doctor's question.

Noticing Edward's desire to avoid him, Dr. Tanner put his pad of paper down on the table next to his chair and leaned back, stretching his jean clad legs out before him, taking in his young patient's appearance. Edward Cullen was a benefactor of a privileged upbringing. His expensive looking clothes, shoes even his haircut bespoke of money. Normally Felix didn't bother with rich kids. He preferred to use his time to help those that came from backgrounds where a hundred-dollar haircut was unheard of and where _daddy issues_ weren't suddenly cured with a gift of a new car or fancy purse. As he looked across the room to his silent patient, his heart went out to this boy. The guilt that Edward harbored in his young soul was real and Alec had serious concerns for his mental health. After one meeting, he didn't hesitate to take Edward Cullen on as a patient.

"Edward, since we're still new to each other, why don't we start with a few easy questions?"

Edward nodded his agreement. "Great. How was your week?"

Edward shrugged in answer.

Doctor Tanner had expected his seventeen-year-old patient to be a bit close lipped. Most teenagers were not looking for ways to open their lives up to adults, but he'd hoped that the doctor/patient relationship he'd been fostering with Edward would be enough to have the boy start working with him. He couldn't help him if all he was going to get were shoulder shrugs and sullen grunts for answers.

He would have to change tactics. "What do you like to do for fun?"

Edward stared numbly at his shoe laces. _Fun_? When was the last time he had fun? "Um, I guess playing with my puppy."

"Puppy? That sounds as if that's a relatively new development?"

"Yeah, we've only had him for a month."

"What did you do for fun before the puppy?"

Edward turned to look out the office window. He watched the orange and yellow leaves of the trees that lined the front of the office building sway in the wind as he tried to remember life before the incident. "I guess I watched TV and rode my bike?"

Edward answered before shrugging and returning his gaze to the window.

"What about spending time with friends? Did you participate in any school sports?" Dr. Tanner watched with concern as Edward seemed to sink further into the over-sized couch. He made a mental note to revisit why Edward was upset over not playing sports. He decided to change tactics.

"Edward, I know you've had a rough year and I understand that you're hesitant to discuss what happened with a stranger, but I'm here to listen. I want to help you put the past in the past where it belongs. Not that I can make you forget, I can't do that. But I can help get you to a place where you can look back at what happened and not allow it to rule your present or your future. Will you let me help you?"

Dr. Tanner leaned forward putting his elbows onto his knees, affixing the silent boy with a sincere gaze. "Believe it or not, no one is perfect." He smiled as Edward rolled his eyes. "I know, I know, you've heard that before and yet you seem to believe that you're perfect."

Edward vehemently shook his head in denial. "I don't think I'm perfect. Not at all, I'm the opposite of perfect." Edward's posture instantly became rigid as he denied the doctor's wild claim.

"Are you sure? From what I can tell you don't believe that you're allowed to make mistakes." Dr. Tanner resumed his note taking.

Edward was instantly on his feet and began pacing around the spacious office.

"Are you kidding? All I do is make mistakes! I'm a royal fuck up! Just ask my brother or my father, they'll be happy to tell you!" Doctor Tanner remained silent, waiting for Edward to calm down before attempting to speak again. As Edward's breathing began to slow, he leaned forward, looking straight into the troubled boy's eyes.

"Do you believe that people can make up for their mistakes?"

Irritated with the line of questioning, Edward shrugged and looked off to the side, mentally calculating how much longer his session was.

"Edward, do you think it's fair that people who go to jail for, say, fraud deserve a second chance once their time is up?"

"Yes, of course." Exasperated with the questions and the memories they dredged up, Edward fell back onto the couch.

"Why?"

"Because they've paid for their crime. You can't punish someone forever for writing a bad check." Why the doctor was focusing on someone else's crimes and not on his, confounded Edward.

"Okay, what about people who have committed involuntary manslaughter? Maybe they had too much to drink at a party and drive home drunk, causing an accident and maybe someone is injured or dies. Does that person deserve a second chance?"

Edward stayed silent as he thought about the question. His parents had raised him with a strong sense of fairness. He'd grown up being taught that forgiveness was the best gift you could bestow to another person.

"I guess. They would have to pay for their crimes but living with what they'd done would be a life sentence."

Alex smiled at his words; he had the boy right where he wanted him.

"So you believe that society should forgive them, but that they should never forgive themselves?" Edward nodded at Doctor Tanner. "A lifetime is a very long time, Edward. You really don't think that person who makes that kind of mistake deserves happiness?"

"No."

"Edward, everyone deserves happiness."

Edward rolled his eyes at the doctor's obvious message. "Really? Did Hitler deserve happiness or Charles Manson?"

Dr. Tanner sighed and rubbed his chin, helping Edward Cullen was going to be a lot harder than he'd hoped. "You trusted the wrong person. You were taken advantage of and yes, people were hurt by your actions but Edward, comparing yourself to the likes of Adolf Hitler and Charles Manson is ridiculous."

"Aren't you supposed to be objective?"

"Yes, I am. But c'mon you have to give me that one. You know that comparing yourself to two murderers who used charisma and fear to get others to perform mass murders in their name is not realistic or fair. Edward, what you're doing to yourself isn't fair to you, or your parents-you have to give yourself the opportunity to find moments of happiness every day."

Edward shook his head and lowered his eyes, clearly not ready to believe the doctor's claims.

Recognizing that Edward's patience had run out, Dr. Tanner issued this week's assignment. "You have to stop allowing these thoughts of unworthiness and guilt to rule your life. Over the next week, I want you to find three instances per day where you are genuinely happy and write down what you're thinking during those moments. I don't care what it is; eating chocolate ice cream, driving your car, playing with your puppy-anything. We'll discuss it next week." As soon as the words left the doctor's mouth, Edward shot up from the couch and rushed from the room. Not even sparing a glance to the pretty receptionist in the lobby.

Edward's ride home felt considerably longer than the one that had brought him to his appointment. His homework assignment weighed heavily on him. How was he supposed to make people understand what it was like to carry around the guilt for his sins? How could he deserve happiness when he'd brought so much unhappiness to both his and Tanya's family? As the meager lights of Forks appeared in his windshield, Edward's mind calmed slightly. As much as his appointment had rattled him, Dr. Tanner had made a few points that stuck with him.

Forgiveness. He'd always believed in forgiveness. He was taught that a man or a woman could pay for their crimes and be given another chance no matter what they'd done. Could he be forgiven? Edward knew that his mother thought the only person who needed to forgive him was himself. Maybe she was right? And then maybe she wasn't. His head began to ache with the stress of the day. Before Edward knew what was happening, he found himself driving down Bella's street. He hadn't officially been invited over but he suddenly couldn't shake the feeling that seeing her would make him feel better.

He saw lights on the second floor and shining out of the big picture window on the ground floor. Not seeing a police cruiser parked in the driveway led him to believe that Bella was home alone. He debated a moment over the idea that it wouldn't be a good idea for a boy with his reputation to call on a nice girl like Bella without her father being home, but Dr. Tanner's words echoed in his head. He had to start somewhere with the forgiving and he just really needed to see her.

After his emotionally draining afternoon, Edward knocked on the weather faded front door with about as much strength as a newborn kitten.

The timid knocking broke Bella's concentration. She'd been deep into her social studies assignment on religion and morality. A break from the philosophical thoughts the reading provoked was welcomed. As the second knock rang out, Bella turned down her iPod, and cocked her head towards the open doorway. When the knocking continued she closed her social studies book with a huff and got off her bed to check the door but not before grabbing a little something to defend herself with in case the knocker was a homicidal lunatic hell bent on defiling her virgin body. She rolled her eyes at the stereotypical teen/slasher movie moment and proceeded down the stairs.

Predictably Charlie had left the living room light on but had left the front porch light off, casting the mysterious knocker in total darkness.

Three more knocks softly echoed in the quiet house. With her trusty Louisville Slugger clenched tightly in her hand, Bella cautiously crept to the front door and flipped on the porch light.

"Shit!" Edward exclaimed as the energy saving LED light burnt his retinas. Recognizing his voice, Bella threw open the door to reveal her friend bent over in obvious pain.

"Edward? Is that you?" He lifted his head, but kept his eyes tightly clenched against the bright onslaught of light. "Crackers! Are you okay? I knew this would happen. I told my dad that lights were too bright to put on a porch. I told him he'd blind someone." Bella rambled as she grabbed Edward's hand and led him into the much dimmer hallway. "Better?" She asked.

Warily, Edward slightly cracked an eye. As he adjusted to the normal level of brightness one would expect in a residence, his regained sight revealed a sheepish looking Bella dressed in flannel sleep pants with what appeared to be brown lion or bear cubs on them and a pink tee shirt with two stick figures laying as if dead that read:

" _Romeo loved Juliet._

 _Juliet loved Romeo._

 _Juliet died because Romeo couldn't wait another five damn minutes?!_

 _Juliet was stupid. Don't be like Juliet."_

"I'm so sorry. I tried to tell Charlie-"

"It's okay." Edward interrupted. "I just wasn't expecting the light of the sun to come pouring out of your porch light." He chuckled at her slightly horrified expression and quickly thought to defuse her embarrassment. "I like your outfit. Are those Chow puppies?" He asked, pointing to her pants.

Bella smiled and nodded. "Kodi is so cute. I couldn't resist." Edward smiled widely. He'd been in her presence for less than ten minutes and already felt as if half of the world had been lifted off his shoulders. They stood awkwardly in the hallway for a moment, both simply happy to be with the other, until Bella's innate curiosity reared its nosey head. "So, what brings you here?"

Edward opened his mouth to explain and then quickly closed it; he was at a loss as to what to tell her because he'd given no thought to an excuse. He just needed to see her. "I just wanted to see you." At this point Edward felt that he owed her honesty wherever he could give it to her.

Bella's face broke out into a wide smile that reached her twinkling eyes. "Really?"

Edward nodded enthusiastically, bolstered by her obvious delight. "Yes. I had a rough afternoon and wanted to see you before I went home." Bella's smile faded slightly at hearing he'd been upset.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked, kindly. Edward shook his head. If the warm feelings that blossomed throughout his body when she'd opened her door were to be believed, he knew that he would eventually have to talk to her about everything, but not tonight.

"No, but thank you. I hope I didn't interrupt anything." Edward looked around the sparsely furnished but tidy living room, spying Bella's discarded bat. "Were you headed out to for some late night batting practice?" He joked, pointing to the wooden bat leaning against the door jamb.

"Um, no. Actually 'Sluggo' is just there for protection."

"The girl who nearly broke the gym teacher's ankle with a badminton racket uses a bat for protection?" He had to laugh at the mental image of their last gym class.

"Of course. If my display of athleticism in gym hasn't proved that I'm a serious physical threat to others, I don't know what would." She returned his teasing.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. A baseball bat could do some serious harm in the right hands."

"Do you play?" She asked.

He frowned and shook his head in answer.

"You don't like baseball? I thought all boys played baseball." At least they did in Forks, she thought.

"No. I mean I really like it as a sport and I watch it on TV but I've never played on a team."

"Why?"

"Ahh, because I really don't have much talent for sports." Or anything else he thought. No wonder no one had ever taken an interest in him. He was an absolute bore.

Bella frowned as his face fell and the light that had been shining in his eyes dimmed slightly. She'd give anything to erase that look of worthlessness that had crept onto his beautiful face. "That doesn't sound right. Look at you." She motioned to his lean body in an up and down motion with her hand, trying desperately not to linger anywhere that might give away her attraction to him.

"You have the look of a-second baseman, maybe even a pitcher. You're always great at whatever sport torture Mr. Griffin inflicts on us in gym. You're a natural athlete." She stated as a matter of fact, watching in glee as Edward's lips slowly turned upwards into a smile.

"Really? You think so?" He asked earnestly. Bella was overjoyed at the way he treated her opinion. He acted is if she were a renowned baseball scout instead of a seventeen year old girl with a crush on him.

"Yes, I do."

"Maybe you'd like to play catch sometime?" Bella's head bobbed enthusiastically as she mentally tried to remember where she'd thrown her mitt after the last time Charlie had attempted to play catch with her. He'd walked away with a black eye and a limp and an ear full of 'I warned yous' from his daughter.

"That would be wonderful." She agreed, with a smile.

"Great! How about tomorrow? Since it's Saturday, you could come over in the morning and stay for lunch." His enthusiasm over the prospect of spending the afternoon with her was evident in his voice.

"It's a date!" Bella exclaimed excitedly before slapping a hand over her mouth as soon as the words she'd said registered to her red tipped ears. "I mean, um, you know…"

Edward smiled widely and gently pulled her hand away from her mouth. Her skin tingled at the contact. "I know what you meant." He said softly, wishing for a moment he could date her, but knowing that he wasn't ready. His eyes smiled right along with his mouth, Bella had to restrain from reaching out to trace his inviting lips.

With a deep sigh, Edward reluctantly tore his eyes from hers. "I really need to go." It was after six and his mother had expected him home by now, if he didn't leave, she would start calling and that was just too embarrassing to fathom.

Edward moved back from her and started towards the door. "Thanks for not using 'Sluggo' on me." He joked as he walked onto the porch to his car.

"Thanks for not being an escaped lunatic coming for my virginity!" She yelled out into the night and for the second time in ten minutes, Bella's 'no filter' mouth showed up to embarrass her.

Eyeing the clearly stunned girl on the porch in her puppy covered pants and pink tee-shirt, Edward bent over in laughter. He knew coming to see her had been the right decision. Her easy going nature put him at ease. While her earlier speech in biology had rattled him, he understood her feelings and knew that none of her words were directed at him.

"You're welcome," he said mirthfully, reveling in their interaction. It was becoming clear to him that this girl was readily becoming one of the things that Dr. Tanner was talking about. She made him happy.

For the first time in a long time, Edward's heart felt lighter. He wondered if maybe his mother's promise that moving to Forks was going to heal them all wasn't already coming true.

* * *

Sooooo, what do you think?

Thank you all for your support. It means a lot to me.

Have a great week!


	10. Chapter 10

I can't thank you all enough for all of the reviews for chapter 9. Your encouraging words made my day! If I didn't have all of you at my back, helping me up this hill, I don't know what I would do. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

I need to apologize for an error in the last chapter. Edward's therapist's first name is Felix not Alec or Alex. Edwardsfirstkiss told me to fix it and I thought I had. I'm very sorry to you and EFK for screwing that up. *face palm*

Warm sugar cookies and giant hugs to the talented and generous ladies who keep me on track and fix my glaring errors. They make TDP safe for public consumption. Sazzledazzled, Mullet86, Edwardsfirstkiss and 2brown-eyes, I LOVE YOU!

SM owns Twilight and I own a slightly damp Chow puppy who insists that just because it's snowing doesn't mean she shouldn't lay out on the deck for hours!

 **The Devil's Plan**

Chapter 10

 _Forward Movement_

"Dad, do you know where my mitt is!? I can't find it and I _really need_ it!" Charlie grimaced at the screeching sound coming out of his daughter's mouth, his back molars ached at the shrillness of her voice. As the sounds of his only child tearing apart his house echoed loudly throughout his small home, Charlie shook his head in wonderment. As difficult as it had been to raise a child on his own, he had to admit that with his Bella around, there was never a dull moment.

He'd gotten Bella the mitt three years ago when she had found her puberty increasingly harder to contain. Like most teens, she'd found it difficult to speak to her father about the changes in her body. Not having any words of wisdom about the trials and tribulations of becoming a woman, he'd hoped that the mundane act of catching and throwing a ball would facilitate an atmosphere where she would feel at ease to talk to him. Unfortunately, all it did was cost him a new basement window, a baseball sized bruise to his right thigh, and an afternoon on the couch with an ice pack on his groin. After that, Bella's mitt was tossed into the sports equipment purgatory that was his coat closet, to spend the rest of its life alongside her rollerblades, tennis racket and soccer cleats. Chuckling at her increasing sounds of frustration, Charlie moved towards the closet.

"I already looked in there," she said, crossing her arms over her chest, impatiently tapping her foot. Ignoring her narrowed eyed glare, he calmly shifted her aside and opened the door. Coats, scarves, boots and all sorts of assorted outerwear pooled at his feet. He watched them fall with an amused chuckle. His girl had really done a number on this closet. Looking through the mess, he reached into the depths of the cupboard and got a hold of the nylon handle of his red sports bag. Pulling it out of the closet, he walked around his still foot tapping daughter and set the bag on the dining room table where he silently unzipped it and pulled out her stiff, barely used leather mitt. "Is this what you've been looking for?" He asked, setting the mitt down onto the table, smiling as her eyes lit up in delight.

"Yes!" She exclaimed. "Thanks, dad." Charlie was not prepared for her full-power hug, but he gratefully accepted it.

"You're welcome, sweetheart. Now, tell me why you need it." She pulled back from the hug with a big smile on her face.

"I'm going over to play catch with Edward." She exclaimed happily, grabbing up the mitt and turning it over in her hands with observing eyes.

Charlie knew the time would come when a boy would take his place. In all honesty he was beginning to worry that one hadn't already come forward but he wouldn't go as far as to say he was happy about it. "Do you like this boy?"

"Um, _duh_." She said teasingly with a raised eyebrow.

"Then why would you pick an activity that's sure to leave him in pain, possibly permanently maimed?" Charlie laughed at her instant look of annoyance. "Look, I'm just saying that perhaps you and the boy should play cards or something instead." He rubbed his thigh in remembrance of their last game of catch.

"That was three years ago. I'm much more coordinated now." Her assurance was voided when she turned to leave, bumping her hip on the corner of the table.

Charlie shook his head as his daughter limped out the door to her car, rubbing her hip as she went. Thank goodness that boy's father is a doctor. If participating in sports was in their future, one or both of them was going to need some serious healthcare, he thought before proceeding to clean up the mess she'd left on the floor.

~~TDP~~

 **September**

"I really wish you wouldn't go to any bother, Esme. It's really not a big deal." Bella pleaded to deaf ears.

"Don't you give it a second thought. I'll just throw together a quick dinner and bake a cake." As much as Bella didn't want Esme to go to any trouble for her birthday, she had to admit that the prospect of a home cooked meal complete with a cake was far more inviting than the usual spinach salad and cobbler meal at the diner. Her father always remembered to put a candle in her blueberry cobbler while the assorted diners sang to her, but as of late that tradition had become more of a duty than a treat. When she'd inadvertently let it slip that she'd be older than Edward once September thirteenth rolled around, she'd never dreamed that his mother would insist on throwing a dinner in her honor. Unbeknownst to Bella, Esme was willing to buy the girl a car, house, fund her college career… if it meant that she'd continue to be Edward's friend. Along with the pudgy puppy that was Edward's shadow, Bella's presence seemed to lighten the whole mood of the Cullen household. Bella's birthday came and went with as much fanfare as Esme was allowed to provide. While Edward and Bella had eaten their cherry-chocolate cake on the deck, laughing at Kodi's antics, Esme watched from the kitchen window with hope in her heart.

 **~~October~~**

"Have you given any thought as to what you want to do for Halloween?" Bella lightly tapped Edward's hand, trying to lure his attention away from the football game playing on the Cullen's much too large flat screen.

"Huh?" He murmured absently, not moving his eyes from the television.

"Halloween. It's two weeks away. Do you want to do anything?"

"You mean like dress up and beg for candy?" Halloween was one of those holidays where people ran in packs.

Edward had never been part of a pack.

"No, we're _much too_ old to go trick or treating." Bella rolled her eyes at his question. "Maybe we could find a party to go to? We could get dressed up, carve pumpkins, bob for apples dance the _Monster Mash_..." Unlike Edward, Bella loved Halloween. It was one of the few holidays that Charlie enjoyed. Every year they would put up orange and black lights on the front porch and place Styrofoam grave markers in the front yard. He also took both Alice and Bella to the pumpkin patch to pick out their pumpkins and then the three of them would set up a carving station on the dining table as classic horror movies played in the background.

"Um, I don't know if a party is a good idea. I'm not really a party guy and I still don't know a lot of people at school." Edward left out the fact that he had never been invited to a Halloween party or any kind of party for that matter.

Bella frowned at his lack of enthusiasm for her favorite holiday. She had hoped that by suggesting they dress up as a couple, it might spur Edward to take another step forward in their relationship. They hadn't yet used the words boyfriend or girlfriend to define their relationship, despite spending nearly all of their spare time over the last month together.

There had been a few good-night kisses on the cheek and there was the occasional hand holding during a movie, which screamed to Bella that they were a couple, yet he was still hesitant. In fact, his hesitancy had begun to make her think that perhaps he was just looking for a buddy and not a girlfriend.

Bella had waited eighteen years to find a boy that she wanted to kiss.

Damn it, Edward was that boy!

Suddenly an idea came to her.

"What would you think about having a party here?" She motioned to the Cullen family room. Its ample space and myriad of electronic amusements complete with a popcorn maker, pool table, seventy-two inch big screen and foosball table was the ideal party room.

"Here?" He asked quizzically, looking around the room and shrugging his shoulders. He didn't see anything that screamed _party room_. To him it was just a normal family room.

"Yes. Why not? It would be a great way for you to meet people and you'd be on your own turf, no pressure."

Edward eyed Bell warily. She was smiling widely and her bright eyes belied her excitement over the prospect of a party and as much as he wanted to give her anything she desired, the thought of having a bunch of people in his house made his skin crawl. The situation with his family had improved but as history had shown, when you threw new people into the mix, the underlying tension could come back.

"Bella,I…" He paused as the anticipation of his probable denial dimmed the light in her eyes. Edward instantly felt terrible. Could he put his feelings aside to make her happy? Could he rely on the newfound goodwill he'd been experiencing with his father and Emmett to last long enough for a party? The fact that it had lasted on and off for the last month was remarkable on its own. Maybe he could give this to her? She'd certainly made the last month of his life happier than he could remember being in the last six months.

"If, um, if you really want to have a party, I guess I could ask my mom. But you have to do all of the planning and stuff because I don't know how to do any of that." He pursed his lips as he spoke making her believe that he wasn't fully on board with the idea but she was delighted that he was willing to even offer.

"Seriously? You would do that for me?" He smiled and nodded sincerely, albeit a bit worried that she didn't already understand he would do anything for her. "That would be wonderful! We could invite Angela, Ben, Tyler, Jessica…" She proceeded to happily list off the names of students in their class. The names blended into background noise for Edward as he concentrated on her smiling face. Suddenly, her smile dropped.

"What's wrong?" He asked with concern.

Her eyes met his, profound sadness visible in their deep brown depths. "I can't believe I'll be having a party and Alice won't be there."

Edward's arm came around her shoulders, giving her a supportive squeeze when she began to sniff back tears.

Bella gave in to him and leaned into his comforting embrace. "I miss Alice," she said softly looking to the ground. "And I don't know what to do about it." Bella and Edward were both silent, lost in their thoughts. In reality they knew what needed to be done, but their new relationship had been a distraction from the unresolved conflict. In Bella's case, having Edward more of a permanent part of her daily routine had helped fill the hole of Alice's absence, yet there were many times she sorely missed not having a close girlfriend to confide in.

For Edward the key word was _avoidance_. He hadn't yet figured out why Jasper had sought him out that day or what exactly his comments had meant. There's no way Jasper could have known how his words would affect Edward or how close to the truth he was. Edward had decided to push it all back inside and avoid Jasper like the plague; a plan that so far had worked.

"I wish I knew what to tell you," he said quietly. Despite being sad, Bella smiled at his words, thankful for his concern.

Over the past month Edward felt as if he were making some progress with Dr. Tanner. Through their weekly meetings Edward had been slowly coming to accept that what had happened wasn't completely his fault. While he still harbored immense guilt, he now also began to place overdue blame on Tanya's shoulders. It had been her decision that had brought their affair crashing down around them. Not his.

He'd also begun to accept that if he wanted to have a future, he needed to begin forgiving himself for the past. The realization that he did indeed want a future was new to him as he'd pretty much written off all hopes of happiness when Tanya's actions had brought his world to a grinding halt. And as they spent more time together it was clear to him that he wanted the girl sitting beside him to be in that future. Perhaps, he thought, he needed to branch out a little with the forgiveness? If he could look past the words that Jasper had said to him it might facilitate the healing between Alice and Bella.

"Hey, why don't you invite her? What better way to start the ball rolling on getting past conflict than a party?" Bella's eyes widened at his suggestion.

"Really? You'd be okay with that? I mean, she'll bring Jasper with her." She knew that Edward went out of his way to avoid any interaction with the disturbing boy.

"Yes. I'm sure." Bella searched his face for any sing of uneasiness. Edward steeled himself for her scrutiny and presented her with a heartfelt smile. "I'm sure. Really." He assured her.

"Oh wow! That would be wonderful. There's so much to do. Decorations, food, invitations, music, food, decorations…" Edward held in his chuckle of amusement as she excitedly repeated herself.

"What?" She asked, noticing his barely concealed giggle.

"It's nothing. You just seem happy."

"I am. Thank you for this. What are you thinking about wearing?" Edward shook his head slightly before shrugging his shoulders.

"I really don't have any idea. Um, I'm really not much of a costume guy." He admitted. He tried to remember the last time he'd dressed up and the only thing that came to him had been his knight costume from the second-grade trip to the local Renaissance fair. He doubted that his shiny, silver knight costume would still fit.

"Maybe a trip to the costume store might help? I don't have a costume either. We could come up with something together." Bella offered, hoping he would take the thinly veiled hint.

"You know what? I think that sounds like a great idea," he said with true happiness in his voice.

~~ TDP~~

"We're losing him." Ba'al glanced towards the whining Astarte.

"Cease your bleating, _woman_." He ordered sternly, before returning his attention to the papers in front of him. "I have not the patience for you today."

Normally Astarte wouldn't allow him to speak to her in such a manner. Though she generally allowed him to dominate their sexual interludes, the appendage between his legs did not make him her superior. Her future was just as tied to this scheme as his and she would have his respect.

"I care not what you may or may not have the patience for, _Ba'al_. I care about what that monster will do to _us_ if we do not produce a willing vessel and a ripe womb!"

Astarte's statement hung over Ba'al like heavy rain cloud waiting to release a barrage of bricks. He knew what they were indebted to deliver to Satan and he knew that thus far they had failed miserably. He also knew that whining about it wasn't going to help.

"I hear your concerns. What pray tell do you suggest we do?" he asked, spreading his arms out in invitation. He knew that she spoke out of frustration but he was no less frustrated. "I have lost what footing I had with Bella, she no longer speaks to Alice and the boy scurries away every time I come across him."

Astarte considered his statement for a moment. A month ago she'd considered her assignment a full success. Every time Emmett appeared to soften towards his brother, she'd been able to turn him around. But it was becoming more difficult. Much to her dismay, college football scouts were still interested in Emmett and were making the trek to Forks in order to watch him play. In doing so the pressure to allow him to play was getting to his coach and after he'd earned the starting position, there was no way to stop it. Therefore, he was blaming his brother less for causing the move, thus shrinking her sphere of influence. Lately, she was acting every inch of a manipulative, overbearing girlfriend having only his need for sex as a bargaining chip. Emmett's need for food was only outweighed by his need for sex. So far, she'd been able to placate him though she knew he was growing tired of coming in her mouth. Soon she would have to allow him to properly fuck her. In spite of the circumstances, Astarte's lips curled into a smile and her eyes grew dark with lust. After all, fucking Emmett wouldn't be torture. He didn't compare to a demigod but he was quite handsome for a human.

"What has you leering so?" Ba'al asked, noticing the change in her expression. "I believe being in this plane has eaten away your brain. You've become just as insipid and transparent as the other sex starved hussies of this time." He snapped, irritated that she was contemplating sex with another.

At his words, anger replaced lust in her eyes. "How dare you compare me to a whore!" She accused, striding closer to the chair where he sat, leaning in so that she was directly in front of him. "You have done _nothing_ to further our cause. If anything you have caused our progress immeasurable damage! I'm the only one serving our master's directive. If I must allow Emmett to worship my body in order to keep him under my direction then I will do it!" Astarte's breasts heaved with her conviction,

Ba'al moved his hands to her elbows, pulling her closer, and her nostrils flared as his breath fluttered across her cheek.

"I'm sure that Satan will commend your _sacrifice_." He taunted before bolting out of his seat and pushing her to the bed. Astarte wasn't prepared for his body to crash down onto hers. She struggled in his grasp, until he immobilized her, placing his knee firmly at the juncture of her thighs and pinning her wrists above her head. "I however, will not. Dally with the human if you must, but know this, when that boy struggles to pleasure you, it will be my cock, the cock of a god that you'll yearn for." Chilled air hit her body as Ba'al bolted from the bed, leaving Astarte stunned and writhing in provoked lust. Did he really care if she slept with Emmett Cullen? In truth, it did irk him to think that he would be compared to the thick-necked human, but his most pressing worry was that if she were somehow to develop feelings for the boy, he might begin to lose his hold on her. And if that were to occur, failure would be his burden to bear alone. He couldn't let that happen.

"Perhaps I will also consider tasting the nectar of a human for the first time." His words hit their intended mark. Daggers were flying from her eyes, as they narrowed in anger.

Suddenly her form calmed and a smirk appeared on her lips. "Taste all you want. I'm sure you will find your little girl _sweet_ ," she said, leaning in to gently nip at his earlobe before whispering, "When you're done with the appetizer, you know where I'll be." With the tables turned, Astarte strode out of the room.

Ba'al smiled, her jealousy was oddly comforting. As of late his pronounced failure at gaining Bella's friendship and Edward's announced aversion to him was causing him great distress. If he and Astarte failed in their mission, they would burn in the fires of Hell for eternity. The fact that he could evoke jealousy in her spoke to the hold he still had over her, albeit tenuous, yet in it was something and right now he was willing to take what he could get.

Shaking himself from his thoughts of what might become his future, he returned his attention to the prophecy in front of him. It was now October; the veil that separated this world from the unholiest of existences would begin to weaken starting on All Hallow's Eve. It would continue to grow weaker until the date of Christ's birth, at that time the doors would be firmly sealed thus keeping his master tied to his dark realm for another 100 years. When the last of the Swan line ended her existence on this plane, so would all hope for Satan's rule on Earth. The Swan Prophecy would cease to exist.

Ba'al must have everything in place for Satan's final arrival by midnight on December twenty-fourth, the Dark Lord must be able to possesses his vessel and begin gaining the girl's heart in order to fulfill the prophecy before the date of Christ's Ascension.

Rubbing a hand over the tight muscles in his neck, silently cursing the relentless aches and pains that affected humans, he returned to the prophecy.

" _As the hour of the savior's birth nears, the Dark One's power will grow as weariness and desperation weighs heavily on the souls of the lost. If all hope and faith are removed, the Dark may find a vessel willing to barter his soul for relief. Should the Dark one gain such a soul, he will walk among man."_

Ba'al had been going over this passage for the last hour. Much to his displeasure Edward and Bella's new relationship was putting a smile on the boy's face. Ba'al could feel Edward's soul fighting its way out of the dark. A happy Edward Cullen was not conducive to the plan. Ba'al groaned out loud in frustration. Standing up from the desk, he began pacing the large bedroom, his harried footfalls softened by the plush carpet. As he paced, his mind searched for ways to cause the boy pain. If he were allowed the use of his powers, it would be an easy task to just beat the boy into submission. However, his powers had been stripped from him when his original sentence was handed down. Now, he was left to only rely on his natural charisma and aptitude for influencing people. So far those talents had gained him the trust of the teachers and administrators of the school as well as keeping the nearly comatose Hale's under the delusion that he and Astarte were their niece and nephew. His meager skills had also added Alice to his collection. He sighed once again as the thought of the little human filled his mind. She was so far under his spell that he feared she may not be able to recover her full mind when this scheme was over. Not that it mattered much he thought. If Satan were to succeed, no one on earth would be left completely sane anyway. Still, she was a sweet thing. His earlier conversation with Astarte came to mind. He'd never before considered using Alice to slake his sexual hunger, but now he figured why not? He should be able to gain some enjoyment from his time here, besides when they were successful; his reward was to live out his remaining years on earth. He should get used to having sex with humans. But first, he had to figure out how to make Edward Cullen fall back into despair.

 **A/N** So, Edward is happy. That's good, right? I've been getting a lot of worries about something sinister happening to the puppy. I cry at every ASPCA commercial and can't watch ANY movie where I think an animal might get hurt. (No Disney, Black Beauty, Benji…movies for this girl.) I will NEVER kill off an animal, except for snakes. They rate right up there with clowns for me. *shudders*

Until next time, be happy and safe!

ruinedbyrob


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** Real quick, I want to thank all of you for the amazing encouragement I've received for TDP. Your reviews continually put a smile on my face! I also want to thank whoever nominated The Devil's Plan for a Twific Fandom Award. You made my whole year!

Giant hugs and warm chocolate chip cookies to my amazing team; Sazzledazzled, Mullet86, Edwardsfirstkiss and 2brown-eyes. Those lovely ladies support me and donate their time to help give my story life. I value them so much!

SM owns the entire Twilight world and I own six Twilight Saga Dvds. Six you ask? Yeah, I bought two Twilight vids because people wanted to borrow mine and I couldn't allow that!

* * *

 **The Devil's Plan**

 **Chapter 11**

 ** _Destiny_**

"What do you think about this one?" Edward shook his head at the puffy white shirt and the wig of black dread locks that passed for a pirate costume. In addition to the Jack Sparrow get up, he'd already turned down a musty and bedraggled Chewbacca and a yellow banana costume. The pickings were very slim at Pan's Theatrical Shop.

"Well, I don't know what we're going to do. There's nothing left. We waited too long." Bella's voice fell as did her hopes of her and Edward going to the party in matching costumes. As soon as Esme had enthusiastically approved the party, the planning had consumed most of Bella's free time. She'd put off finding a costume for too long and now she feared there was nothing left for her and Edward to wear.

"Maybe we just go as ghosts?" He offered with a grimace as he quickly hung up the costume he was holding, not wanting Bella to see it.

"No, that's too cliché. Wait, what was that?" Bella quickly walked over to the meager clothes rack and pulled out the black, high collared cape Edward had tried to hide. "This could work. You could be a vampire and I could be your willing victim." Bella offered with a wide smile and hopeful eyes. The idea of Edward going as a dark and broody vampire appealed to her in such a way that she couldn't quite explain yet couldn't deny it either.

"And ghosts are too cliché? Nothing is more _cliché_ than a vampire-slash-victim ensemble," he said with mock accusation. Edward had to laugh when she turned to look at him. The look of non-amusement on her face was priceless.

"Laugh it up funny-man. We're going to be the worst dressed hosts ever!" Bella exclaimed, throwing her hands up in surrender. Her actions were funny but the look on her face was serious. Instantly, Edward felt badly about mocking her.

"Hey, there's got to be something here we could wear." Edward huffed and began to go through the all but empty racks in earnest with a smile on his face, hoping Bella would cheer up. Having a best friend was new to him so the intricacies of how the relationship worked often times eluded him but he had a fairly good idea that you weren't supposed to be content if your friend was upset. A fact made all the more important when that friend was a girl and the thought of Bella being upset made Edward physically ill. He would do almost anything to make her smile.

The scraping and clanging of the hangars as he hurriedly moved from one unacceptable option to another echoed in the costume shop, as its only two customers desperately searched for anything that didn't include fangs or fur.

Edward's search was interrupted by Bella's excited yelp. "Found something!" Edward looked up from a lame pilot uniform to see Bella standing in front of him with her hands behind her back. "Okay, I need you to keep an open mind-"

"Bella, just show me." While he wanted to make her happy, Edward was losing his patience with the _Great Costume Search of 2016._

With a sheepish smile, she moved both arms revealing the two costumes she'd found and deemed acceptable.

Edward's mouth fell open in astonishment. How could she have randomly chosen the two worst possible choices?

"Stop! Before you say anything give me a chance to sell them to you. Think about this, me, short white dress with high, well smallish heels, fluffy wings and a golden halo and you could wear this." She pointed to the hangar in her left hand with hopeful eyes. Edward couldn't deny that the thought of Bella in a skimpy angel costume _rung his bell_ in all of the right ways. But what she had planned for him was too much.

The tight black leather pants, dark, satin shirt with black leather jacket looked, to Edward, like the rejected clothes from a bad, _Mad Max_ , photo shoot. "We could put some black eyeliner around your eyes, tousle your hair a bit and presto, you're the bad guy and I'm the angel. Good and bad. They're classic concepts," she said with a dimpled smile. While it appeared that her fantasy of seeing him in a silky, black cape didn't appear to be happening, she felt she'd found the next best thing. Bella was also hopeful that seeing her in something other than jeans and a sweater would open Edward's eyes to the fact that she was indeed a girl and thus girlfriend material. Of course, her fevered brain hadn't taken into account just how much of herself she'd be showing Edward and for that matter, most of their class. But at this moment Bella had no time for particulars. She would deal with them later.

Edward's mouth hung open in revulsion when she explained what his costume would represent. There was no way she could have voiced the words that would have cut him deeper. For too long he'd considered himself the _bad guy_. No, no way was he going to wear that.

"Bella, I can't-"He paused when her slim shoulders drooped in perceived defeat. Edward instantly swallowed his words of refusal. He was so tired of disappointing everyone. His friendship with Bella was more or less a clean slate. He couldn't allow it to end so soon because of his past. "-I can't wait to see you in that costume." He answered brightly with a fake smile that turned rapidly sincere when he saw a smile return to Bella's face.

"Oh, Edward, thank you!" He was unprepared for the weight of the happy girl as she flung herself at him in gratitude. His arms settled easily around her waist. He supposed he should have been a little alarmed at exactly how easily she fit into his arms, but he would deal with that later. His entire being melded with hers as he relished the physical contact. Edward closed his eyes and deeply breathed in her scent. It reminded him of how his house smelled after his mom had baked sugar cookies. For a moment, he allowed everything but the feeling of her body encasing his, to fall away. Edward stood in the middle of a nearly deserted costume shop on a rainy afternoon in Port Angeles, Washington as just a boy shopping for a costume to wear to a party he would be attending with the girl that brought the sunshine back into his dark life. Not the boy whose actions had brought so much darkness and ruin to two families. Much too soon Bella pulled away with a blush to her cheeks.

"Thank you! I was so afraid that I was going to end up wearing a Care Bear sheet toga." Bella's exuberance was catching. Edward couldn't help the smile that crept upon his face as his dark-haired friend skipped to the cashier's counter with the two costumes swinging in her hands.

Shaking his head in amusement, Edward followed Bella to the counter, wondering if maybe the Care Bear sheet togas were a real option.

 **~~TDP~~**

"I'm so excited, Bella. I can't wait for you to see my costume." Angela gushed, barley able to contain her excitement. "I haven't dressed up for Halloween since I was eleven years old. "

"I'm glad you and Ben can make it. I wasn't sure how a party for our age group would go over." So far, Bella had been pleasantly surprised at the reception her and Edward's party had gotten from the Forks High School crowd. She'd received nothing but positive RSVP's for the party from all of her invitees, well, all but one. That guest was currently seated in the east corner cafeteria, staring at the Bella with sad eyes. Bella had been waiting for Alice's RSVP since the moment she slipped the shiny, black envelope into her locker. But two weeks had gone by and she'd heard nothing from her best friend. A part of her was worried that Alice wouldn't accept her invitation, choosing instead to leave their relationship in tatters.

"I get that. But I think Halloween is just as much fun for adults as it is for kids. What other holiday can you dress up in silly costumes? Plus, there's pumpkin carving and scary movies."

Finally, Bella thought, someone who shared her love for all things Halloween. "You like scary movies?" Bella asked, returning her attention to the girl sitting next to her. Angela's eyes widened in excitement as she nodded her head exuberantly.

"Are you kidding me? I love them! The creepier the better. Except I don't _do_ dolls or clowns. Those things are definitely the work of the devil." Angela's thin shoulders shuddered in revulsion.

"Well, we definitely have that in common." Bella laughed. "But anything else goes?"

"Yep. I'm completely open to being scared witless. The scarier the better." The girls immediately put their heads together and began planning their Halloween movie program.

"Bella, may I have a word?" Jasper's request took Bella by surprise. She pulled away from Angela and turned to find him standing at her left elbow, a slice of chocolate cake in his hand. Not wanting to appear rude, hoping his presence was a good sign for her and Alice's relationship, she nodded her agreement

"Splendid." Jasper placed his cake on the table and pulled out the seat next to her. Even though he was acting in a non-threatening manner, Bella still had to curtail her fight or flight response. There was something about this boy that bothered her and she was afraid that it always would.

"What can I do for you?" Bella asked nervously. Her eyes shifted briefly to where Alice was still seated in the corner and wondered why she hadn't come over herself.

"I'm here on her request." Jasper said as if he could read her mind. "She didn't want her emotions to get out of hand in such a public place."

After the spectacle in the parking lot, Bella could understand her worry.

"We received your invitation to the All Hallow's Eve gathering. We would be delighted to attend."

"That's great. I'm glad you'll be there." She said sincerely. Bella felt relief that Alice had accepted her olive branch, despite Jasper's overly formal and weird speech.

"So, you've become quite close to young Cullen. That's good," he said, nodding his head in approval. His statement rankled Bella. She knew that he had said something to Edward that caused him to have a panic attack and even though Edward hadn't given her any specifics, her need to protect the boy that meant so much to her kicked into high gear when Jasper mentioned him.

"Why is that good?" Bella asked with more than a tinge of accusation in her tone. He always spoke as if what was going on in her life somehow affected his in such a way that he felt he could comment at will and it made her hackles stand on end.

Jasper regarded her thoughtfully before putting his hands up in surrender. "I meant nothing by the comment. Please do not become defensive." His plea only made her more defensive, making her shoulders tense even more. But remembering that her goal was to smooth things over, not dig bigger holes in her relationship with Alice, she kept her mouth shut.

As if sensing his comment had put her on edge, Jasper wisely moved to leave the table. "I hope you have a good day Bella. And again, thank you for the invitation. Oh and the cake is for you. Alice told me it was your favorite. Enjoy. " He threw over his shoulder as he walked away. Bella glanced over at Alice, who was smiling in her direction. Bella returned her smile, thankful that it appeared they were on the mend. Even though it was one of the few foods the Forks High cafeteria team got right, she couldn't bring herself to eat the cake.

 **~~TDP~~**

"Do you think that costume is appropriate?" Ba'al asked with a raised eyebrow as he surveyed the obscenely short and tight mini-dress adorning Astarte.

"You look like a common trollop." His words were delivered with a disapproving tone but the movement of his hardening cock against the zipper of his jeans belied that he truthfully found her outfit choice to be quite satisfactory.

"I assure you, that this outfit is most appropriate and will make my task of keeping Emmett under my control that much easier." Astarte returned to the task of attempting to cover her breasts as they threatened to spill from the scrap of material that was her Halloween costume.

"You could have gone as yourself. Long, flowing robes…I would have thought that you'd relish the chance to be comfortable after having to wear such tight clothing all of the time." Not to mention that the robe of a goddess would keep ninety percent of her skin covered.

"What are you, my father?" She mocked. "A flowing robe would not keep Emmett's attention as well as the guise a slutty nurse will." Ba'al rolled his eyes. Why the women of this world insisted on flaunting their bodies astounded him. At least his little Alice had more self-worth. She had intelligently decided to choose more suitable clothing. They would be attending the party as a teen couple from the 1950's. Complete with something called a poodle skirt and greaser hair.

"Besides, he's going as a naughty doctor so we're matching. What are you and the _child_ wearing?" Ba'al chuckled at her thinly veiled contempt for his Alice.

Ba'al motioned to his plain white tee shirt, tucked neatly into blue jeans. "I believe I am something called a _greaser_ and she's a _bobby soxer._ "

"You're joking. That's your costume?" Astarte asked, with a sneer. "How quaint. Well, you and the child enjoy yourself. I'm sure I will." Ba'al watched silently as she flounced out of the room with her nurse's hat affixed to her perfectly coiffed head.

Ba'al rubbed a hand slowly over his tired eyes as the scent of Astarte's rapid departure wafted over his body, reminding him that she would not be at the Cullen's tonight. Instead of attending the party at the Cullen's, she and Emmett would be celebrating with the football team and upperclassmen as Emmett had vehemently fought her attempts to persuade him to attend his younger brother's soiree instead. In the end, it was decided that Emmett was becoming a bit too suspicious by her arguments and his presence could potentially be disastrous to their Master's plans if he chose to pick a fight with his brother.

Ba'al was not looking forward to the party nor was he fond of the very reason for the party. If these children only knew how close they came every twelve months to real monsters that went bump in the night, they wouldn't be in such a hurry to wander around in the darkness. Tonight, a true monster would be walking amongst them and it would be solely up to Ba'al to assist Satan as he traversed the paths between Hell and Earth to observe _The Swan_ and the boy.

 **~~TDP~~**

"Aro!" The slap of his bare feet hitting the rough stone floor echoed loudly as he ran towards his master's booming voice. He knew what was about to be demanded of him and his heart and soul, if he still possessed a soul, which he thought or rather hoped he did, was aching with the knowledge of what his participation in this event meant.

"Sire." His head bowed as he greeted his malevolent host.

"Aro, the next time you keep me waiting I'll amuse myself with thinking of new ways to torture your worthless hide."

"My apologies sire." He kept his eyes lowered so that Satan would not see his fear. So far, his time in Hell had not included torture, as he'd done his best not to draw attention to himself. His new role as Satan's de facto seer had forcibly pushed him directly into his master's sight and he now had a very real fear of punishment being handed down.

Satan's eyes narrowed as he looked down onto the bowed form of his subordinate, his lips curled in pleasure at the smell of fear emanating from Aro. It was good he thought; it was good that Aro understood what could befall him at any moment. Fear served him well with keeping his people in line, as if he needed help. Satan snorted at the absurd thought. "I don't care to hear your insignificant apologies, what has been done for my excursion tonight?"

Aro's eyes darted around the floor, in truth he had been using his time reading over the prophecy trying to find ways to thwart Satan's plans, as of yet he'd found nothing. "Sire, I believe things are prepared as expected."

Satan snorted loudly. " _You believe?"_ Aro's skin crawled at the obvious sarcasm. "Tonight, I make contact with _The Swan_ and my vessel and you _believe_ things are prepared?" The calmness of his Master's voice chilled him to his core.

Aro released a shaky breath, and lifted his head to meet Satan's dark eyes. "Sire, all will be as you desire." Tonight would happen and there was nothing Aro could do to stop it. In the meantime, he would continue to look for a way to help humanity out of the true hell that was coming for them.

 **~~TDP~~**

"Honey, are you sure you don't want me to put some white paint on your face, maybe some dark circles under your eyes?" Edward shook his head at his mother's hopeful voice and tried not to laugh at the pout on her face as she thought of ways to decorate him. For years Esme had all but begged, actually there had been begging, for her children to allow her to go all out on their costumes. Face paint, spiked hair, fake blood…Anything. But to her dismay, Emmett had opted to wear almost exclusively sports costumes and after Edward had grown up enough to wear a true Halloween costume; he'd lost interest in trick-or-treating. When he and Bella came to her about the party, Esme's hopes of finally getting to place a three-inch scar or nasty boil on one of her son's pretty faces were once again kindled only to be quickly dashed.

"Mom, I'm not a vampire." He reminded her while surveying his costume in the mirror, taking note of the alterations to the clothes that Bella had originally chosen. The leather pants had been replaced by black jeans and the satin shirt had been hastily replaced after Emmett had commented, " _That 70's Show_ called and wanted their shirt back", with a plain, black cotton button down. He was quite pleased that after donning the outfit it didn't scream, 'bad boy' but rather to him at least, it more or less just identified him as maybe slightly Goth or perhaps just a boy with little imagination for Halloween costumes. He'd take whatever it was as long as it that the smile stayed on Bella's face.

Hearing his mother deep sigh at his reluctance to allow her to draw on his face, Edward looked to his furry companion, who was currently parked at his feet and rolled his eyes. Kodi had not been immune to his mother and Bella's excitement. The little fur ball had a black cape attached to his collar and was wearing a pair of velvet bat ears on his head.

"Really, mom?" Edward pointed to the puppy that was currently shaking his head vigorously, attempting to dislodge the offending ears. "He looks ridiculous."

"He looks adorable." Esme countered, reaching down to fix the newly skewed headband and began fussing with the cape attached to his neck. "Who's my perfect little vampire?" She cooed as Kodi lifted his big brown eyes to Edward in a silent request for help.

Edward couldn't ignore his little buddie's plea. "Mom, maybe you could define my cheekbones a bit?" He barely had the words out before his mom turned to him with what could only be described as unmitigated joy stamped all over her face.

"Are you sure?" He nodded, reluctantly shooting the dog a look that said 'You owe me one.'

"Oh, honey, thank you!"

Fifteen minutes later Edward exited his room with his face shadowed to within an inch of its life. He'd also relented and allowed her to use some mousse and make his hair even more unruly. He wasn't so sure that his hair needed any messing up, but he had to admit that it smelled nice.

Edward walked down the stairs and followed the sounds of the creaking chains and moaning to the family room entrance. The obligatory cobwebs, complete with plastic spiders were hanging from every corner. Pumpkins were stashed around the room carved by Bella. His mother had him drag his grandmother's punchbowl down from the attic. It now sat center stage on the main table almost overflowing with punch. It tasted terrific but was the color and consistency of snot. Various finger foods that bore frighteningly resemblances to dismembered fingers, eyeballs and other body parts surrounded the _snot punch_ on a large table covered in an orange tablecloth.

His mother and Bella had bonded over the party preparations. While he'd been roped into hanging more crepe paper, peeling more grapes and frosting more pumpkin shaped cookies than he'd ever thought possible, he was delighted to see his mother with an almost permanent smile on her face that matched the one Bella wore. His mother and friend were happy. To Edward that was a huge win and he found that their visible glee was beginning to rub off on him.

"What do you think?" Edward turned towards his mother's voice. She was coming in behind him with yet another platter of Halloween themed food. He peered toward the tray, trying to discern what she was carrying. "Mummy Dogs," Esme said, lowering the platter so he could see the hotdogs wrapped in strips of some kind of pastry.

"You mean pigs in a blanket?"

"I meant _Mummy Dogs_. Get with the program or get out." She challenged with a raised eyebrow.

Edward laughed at this mother's glare. "Oh, right. I can clearly see that those aren't your run of the mill pigs in a blanket. My mistake." Esme continued to glare at her chortling son as she sat the platter down on the full table. She busied herself with straightening up napkins and such for a moment before turning back towards her son, delighting in the smile that adorned his beautiful face. Without thinking Esme walked over to Edward and placed her hands on his face bringing his eyes to her level. "I'm so glad to see you happy. It's been much too long." Edward lowered his eyes, ashamed for the amount of hurt his mother had endured because of his actions. Her hands tightened on his face, forcing him to hold her gaze. "No, don't hide these beautiful eyes from me. You never have to apologize for experiencing joy. I'm your mother, there's nothing I want more than to see you happy. Okay?"

Edward sighed and nodded. "Okay."

"You are happy aren't you?" Edward couldn't deny that he was. Even Dr. Tanner had remarked on his change in attitude and had been working on trying to get to the bottom of the change. So far all Edward had divulged was very little except to say that he'd made a new friend.

"Yes, Mom." He confirmed.

"Bella is a good person. I'm so happy you are friends. Do you think you two might become more than friends? Maybe a couple?" Edward pulled back at her question, the mirth from before dimming a bit as his past reared its head again. The only relationship he'd ever had was by all accounts a disaster. And despite the progress he'd made with Dr. Tanner, there was still too much old baggage floating around for him to consider bringing another person into his darkness. But he knew that if he were ready it would be Bella he'd want.

"Mom, I don't think that's a good idea."

"What do you mean? It's obvious she adores you and your smile never waivers when she's around."

"That's not the problem. I like Bella very much but you know my history with girlfriends." Esme dropped her hands from Edward's face in frustration.

"Edward, that's not fair. It's not fair to you and it's certainly to fair to Bella. There are a lot of choice words I could use to describe that woman; girlfriend is not one of them!" Esme's mind whirled with all of the names she would and in the privacy of her home, had used to describe that vile woman. Seeing the distress the topic had brought to her son's face, Esme quickly changed her tone. "Okay, I'll leave it alone, for now. But don't wait too long to decide you're ready or you may find yourself having to fight for the chance to call her yours." Esme smiled and gently turned her son towards the hallway that led to a guestroom and en suite bath.

Edward's eyes widened and his mouth hung open at the sight of Bella in her costume. She had accepted Esme's invitation and changed at the Cullen's home rather than driving across town only to turn around and come back. She'd even packed a bag to stay overnight after the party. Esme had decided it made more sense for her to stay since both she and Edward would have to clean up in the morning.

"Hi." Bella's voice faltered a bit as Edward stayed silent. In the dim light of the hallway, she couldn't tell what his expression was; only that he was staring at her and not saying anything. She self-consciously tugged at the hem of her white dress, even though Esme has assured her it was a respectable length. Bella took a deep breath and squared her shoulders and began walking towards the still silent Edward and smiling Esme. As she walked, she could feel the halo that was affixed to her head begin to wobble but refrained from messing with it lest she ruin the beautiful curls Esme had spent the better part of an hour placing all over her head. The perfectly formed ringlets cascaded down her back and framed her face. She'd been almost brought to tears when Esme had allowed her to look in a mirror. Bella had been doing her own hair for her whole life. A wash and quick blow dry was as good as it got. She had no idea her hair could look so pretty. Esme had also applied mascara to her already long lashes, making them appear darker and thicker than normal. A tiny bit of blush and lip gloss was also used to enhance Bella's natural beauty. Bella really liked the final appearance but she found that the attention form Edward's mother was the best part of her makeover.

Reaching the end of the hallway, Bella pursed her lips together, causing the lip gloss to shine a tad bit brighter. Edward blinked slowly and licked his own lips in reaction to her shiny lips. The two teens stood silently staring at one another. One too shy and self-conscious to say anything and the other one caught up in visual overload to form words.

Finally, Esme elbowed her mute son in the ribs, causing him to pitch slightly forward into Bella. Edward's arms shot forward to stop his momentum, landing on Bella's hips. Bella's hands instantly grasped onto his forearms. The couple looked as if to be engaged in a romantic embrace. Their eyes were locked onto each other, both waiting for the other to speak first.

Unable to stand it any longer, Esme cleared her throat, jolting her son out of his Bella induced stupor.

"You look amazing." He uttered simply, barely above a whisper but loud enough for Bella to hear. Instantly, Bella's face broke out into a huge smile and her lovely eyes sparkled under his gaze.

"You look great too." The compliment spilled from her glossed lips.

Esme's happiness over what she was witnessing was almost more than she could contain as she gazed at the beautiful couple. Her heart filled with thoughts of the future, finally able to begin leaving the past behind. Destiny, Esme thought. It was destiny that her family had moved to Forks and put this brown-haired angel in their path, she was the key to everything good that was happening to her family.

 ** _The Pure Bird must be the last of the dark and light bloodlines._**

 ** _She is the key to his unholy plan._**

* * *

They hugged! Woohoo! Next chapter, the party.

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Until next time, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!


	12. Chapter 12

**Much love to my team; Sazzledazzled, Edwardsfirstkiss and 2brown-eyes for their continued support and willingness to share their talents and time with me.**

 **SM owns Twilight but I now own a book of Shakespearian insults and a Chicago Cubs World Series keepsake ornament. Thanks mom!**

* * *

 **The Devil's Plan**

 **Chapter 12**

 ** _Parlor Games and the Tales They Tell_**

The Cullen's doorbell rang loudly, startling the two entangled teens in the basement. Edward quickly released his hold on Bella's hips as her hands reluctantly gave up their hold on his arms.

"Um, I should probably get that." Edward stuttered in embarrassment before running up the stairs to answer the door. Bella's eyes followed his retreating form as her loud sigh filled the room.

"Don't worry sweetheart, he'll be back." Esme walked over to the blushing girl, sliding a comforting arm around her waist. "I think he's finally getting the picture."

Bella didn't even try to play coy. "Do you really?" She asked, hoping beyond hope that Edward's mother would give her the encouragement that she hadn't received from her son.

Esme nodded. She'd known for months that Bella had feelings for her son. When Bella had walked into the hallway looking every inch the angel that Esme felt she was, the change in Edward's demeanor removed all doubt that he was falling for her as well. She only prayed that he did something about it before another boy swooped in and scooped Bella up.

Before Esme could offer any more encouraging words, the heavy clunking of excited footsteps resonated through the festively decorated room.

"Bella, you look amazing!" Angela quickly embraced the smiling Bella. Esme moved to the shadows as more guests rushed into the room. Bella had put her heart into this party and Esme was going to allow her to act as hostess.

As the room quickly filled up with excited teens the first annual Cullen Halloween bash was underway. The music was loud, there were cups and plates all over the place as Kodi gleefully waddled from guest to guest soliciting as many head pats and belly rubs as he could get.

Esme kept the punch and snacks refilled while keeping the neighborhood ghouls, and princesses happy with the assorted candy. As cute as the little ones were dressed in their costumes, she hoped that Carlisle would get home soon and relieve her of door duty, as she was very interested in getting back downstairs to see if her son had worked up the nerve to claim Bella.

"This place is awesome B." Bella grinned at Ben's praise. She and Esme had spent the better part of a weekend decorating the Cullen family room until there was barely a space that didn't bear their mark. Much to Bella's delight, Esme was a master at decorating. While Bella had envisioned black and orange streamers and Dollar Store cobwebs strewn throughout the room, Esme had included subtle yet impactful touches that set the décor of the room apart from the normal teen party.

"Thanks Ben."

"Seriously B, you did good and holy hell, when did you get those legs? Wow!" The blush she'd acquired from his praise for the decorations quickly turned bright red as he turned his and everyone within ear shot's attention to her semi-revealing costume. Bella again, tugged at her hem as many of her male classmates murmured their agreement with Ben's statement.

Bella wasn't used to such attention being made to her body. The comments from Ben and his group put her a bit out of sorts. However she looked to see if she was receiving the attention of one male in particular. She found him quickly. Bella was caught off guard at the frown that was marring his pretty face. His hands were tightly clenched in fists as his dark eyes darted from where Ben and the rest of the guys were standing next to her. She could tell something had angered him and instantly worried that his brother had said something to him. As much as she tried, Bella couldn't figure out Emmett Cullen. The handful of times she'd been around him made her think that perhaps he had an undiagnosed personality disorder. If it were just her, Edward and Emmett, he was fine even fun. Especially if that little orange ball of fluff was the center of attention, but if Rosalie was around he became moody and would overreact to the smallest things. Particularly at anything Edward said or did. Concerned, Bella began walking towards him only to have her movement halted when Lauren and Jessica showed up at her side. With her attention on her guests, Bella lost track of Edward but kept it in the back of her mind to ask him what had happened to make him so upset.

"So, do we want _Saw II_ or shall we go classic with _The Exorcist_?" Angela held both film cases out for the collected group to choose from.

" _Saw."_ Mike yelled out around a mouthful of Esme's amazing spinach artichoke dip. "Jigsaw is badass!"

"Yeah, but we know who he is. The mystery is gone. The Exorcist has the devil and projectile vomiting." Angela enticed with a wiggle of her eyebrows.

While the group continued to debate which movie to watch next, Bella glanced to her left where Edward was sitting next to her on the giant sectional couch, his proximity led her to believe that whatever had put the scowl on his face earlier must have been the work of someone other than her as well as the fact that he had practically knocked Tyler onto the floor when he'd attempted to take the seat next to her. As much as having the object of her desire sitting next to her in a dark room rife for the sporadic bicep grab, Bella found her attention wandering to the stairway. The party had been in full swing for two hours and Alice had yet to show up.

"Sure green puke is pretty cool, but I don't like really watching those kinds of movies. Possession really happens. It's too real." Tyler said with a slight shiver.

"Are you for real? Possession was made up by the Catholic church as a way to scare its followers so they never questioned the church." Mike countered, before stuffing another handful of popcorn into his mouth.

"I assure you possession is very real. However, humans have bastardized the act into something comical. Projectile vomiting, absurd." The smooth voice scoffed. Every head turned toward the stairway where three figures stood at the threshold.

"Alice!" Bella exclaimed, jumping from her place beside Edward and rushing towards her friend. The two girls embraced as if they hadn't seen each other for years. The hurt and angry words between them put aside as the bond they'd shared for most of their lives reignited.

"You look amazing!" Alice exclaimed, taking in her friends somewhat skimpy outfit. Alice was one of two people in the world that had ever seen Bella in less than shorts and a tank top since she was old enough to dress herself. The other being her pediatrician, Dr. Gartin.

"Cleavage?" Alice asked teasingly.

"Um, well I…" Bella didn't know how to explain her sudden need to remove all doubt that she was a girl and as such would be open to having a boyfriend. "What about you? This costume is adorable." Alice twirled, allowing Bella to see the full effect of her poodle skirt.

"Thank you. I had a hard time coming up with a costume that Jasper deemed appropriate."

At the mention of her friend's strange boyfriend, Bella remembered her manners and turned to greet him.

"Happy Halloween, Jasper."

"Happy All Hallows Eve to you too. Thank you for inviting us to your gathering." Leave it to Jasper to make things weird right away.

"You're welcome."

"I hope you don't mind that I brought a um, friend. This is…" Jasper paused as if trying to remember the name of his friend. Bella looked to Alice for help but was greeted with a blank look almost as if she didn't know the answer either.

"Lucian." The tall and dark haired stranger offered, extending his hand as he emerged from the shadows. "How wonderful to finally meet you, Isabella Swan."

Bella's eyes took in the mysterious boy's appearance. Since meeting him, Edward had been her idea of male perfection but she found her heart skipping just a tiny bit when the attractive stranger took her hand. She was suddenly very warm and didn't know what to do about it. The feeling intensified as his dark searching eyes traveled slowly up her slight frame from her toes up to her thick glossy hair before settling back on her wide-eyed stare. "Wonderful indeed." He muttered again with an appraising smirk.

"I'm sorry we're late. We had to wait for Jasper's friend. I hope you don't mind that we brought him along." Alice asked from beside the entranced girl.

"Of course, not." Bella forced herself to turn away from the captivating stranger to smile at Alice. "I'm so happy you came."

"She's been waiting all night for you." Edward's statement caused the quartet to focus their attention from each other back to the rest of the room. "Hi, I'm Edward Cullen. This is my home." Edward held his hand out to Lucian, forcing him to give up his claim on Bella.

Grudgingly, the interloper let go of Bella to shake Edward's hand. The two young men stared intently at each other while their hands engaged in the age-old battle of hand shake dominance until Mike's nasally voice broke the tie.

"Dude, how can you believe that possession is real? It's all a bunch of made up hokum just like the stories in the bible. Only lemmings believe that crap." Mike Newton wasn't known for his tact and once again proved his reputation correct. Edward winced as Lucian squeezed his hand once more before releasing his tight hold. Edward resisted flexing his hand but could not stop the shudder than ran through his body as the stranger's dark glare narrowed slightly before turning his attention to Mike.

Lucian strode through the room towards the group assembled around the couch. He moved with a casual grace and purpose uncommon for a teenaged male. The females of the group reacted quite differently to his gait than the males. The girls stared openly at the beautiful boy while the male's gazes were openly hostile towards the intruder.

"I assure you it is very real and not all the Bible is _hokum_ , though embellishments were made as well as a few outright lies told." His rich voice filled the basement room as he addressed the group. All the girls save Angela, emitted some kind of noise of appreciation as he spoke.

"You should be careful with what you say, especially as you weren't there." Lucian was not deaf to the girls' reaction to him. He gifted them with a bold smirk. "Though to be fair, many of the authors weren't either."

"Look, I don't know who you think you are but you can't waltz in here and try to tell me that the Bible is real. There's no proof of any of it and…" Mike's speech abruptly halted as Lucian removed his eyes from the fawning girls and fixed him with a dark penetrating stare. The boy's mouth opened and closed a few times before he slumped silently onto the floor next to the couch.

"Um, ah maybe we should play a game instead of a movie?" Angela was the first of the group to recover her voice. Angela's suggestion alerted Bella to the tension in the corner.

"That's a great idea. There's all kinds of choices." Bella walked away from Alice and went over to the Cullen's game cabinet, opening the doors to reveal several shelves of various board games. "Star Wars Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit, Settlers of Catan, Pandemic, Uno, Cribbage…" Bella called out the titles.

"Catan!"

"Trivial Pursuit!"

"Uno!"

Everyone yelled out their choice.

"Look," Angela exclaimed as she pulled out a game from the bottom shelf. "They have a Ouija board. Please, please can we play this one?" Angela didn't wait for the group to agree. She rushed over to the side table and began setting the game up.

Alice walked over to stand beside Bella. "I don't care what we play as long as I get to be your partner."

"There aren't partners in this game but you can sit by me." Alice readily agreed and took her place next to Bella.

"Are you sure you want to play that game?" Edward asked. "Emmett and I used it once before shoving it into the very back of the cabinet for a reason." Edward's admission caused everyone but Lucian to focus on him. The stranger was still focused on Bella.

"Why didn't you use it again?" Ben asked with a slight tremor in his voice.

"Supposedly you're opening the door to the other world. It felt wrong. Emmett was totally freaked out."

"Aww, were you scared of a little game?" Mike teased, having recovered his voice from his slight altercation with Lucian. His statement caused several of the other boys to laugh at Edward's expense.

"Maybe we should put it back. I mean it's Edward's house and if he doesn't want to play…"

"Don't be such a baby." Mike chided Ben before walking over to where Angela had the board and pointer set up.

Bella met Edward's eyes, silently asking how upset he was over the game. Understanding exactly what she was asking but not wanting to appear childish in her eyes, he smiled and shrugged his shoulders hoping to convey his indifference. Bella let out a sigh and returned his grin. Both were unaware that their silent exchange was being carefully watched by the tall young man in the corner.

"Are you pleased, Sire?" Ba'al whispered.

"I'm quite pleased. She's exquisite." Satan commented to his minion without taking his gaze from the angelic brunette. Ba'al exhaled the breath he'd been holding, relieved that his Master was content.

"Their relationship should make things easier for you." Ba'al added absently as he watched Bella and Edward's shared smile.

"And you think I need assistance?" Satan's question caused Ba'al to shiver. He'd clearly misspoken.

"Of course not! Sire, I only meant that the boy is already gaining her trust and that her acceptance will be easier for you to gain, not that you need things to be easy. I just-"

Satan turned his gaze to the rambling Ba'al. "Silence." Ba'al wisely shut his mouth and nodded. "I fear that he will be the problem. His happiness concerns me." Satan returned his gaze across the room where Edward had moved to stand behind the now seated Bella. Their heads together as if they were sharing a private conversation. " Both Astarte and you must deal with that." Ba'al could only nod at his Master's back as he strode across the room to where the children were gathered.

"Jaz? There you are. Come join us. We're going to make a call to the other side." The girls giggled at Alice's attempt to sound spooky. If only you knew. He thought to himself. If only these children understood what they were inviting in. His eyes fell upon the tall shadow that was now hovering over Bella Swan. Or the evil that was already here.

"Okay, so we'll take turns asking the questions and everyone has to promise not to move the pointer." Everyone seated around the table nodded and placed the tips of their fingers on the plastic triangle that served as the phone line through the veil.

"What should we ask?" Jessica asked brightly.

"Ask if Dr. Banner will grade those last tests on a curve."

"Ask if my parents are going to get me a car for Christmas."

"Find out this week's winning lotto numbers."

"Ask if Lucian is single." The ever boyfriend-shopping, Lauren asked. Lucian graced her with a suggestively raised eyebrow.

"No, ask if my neighbor is sleeping with his babysitter." Everyone turned towards Mike. "What? She's super-hot! I'd totally do her." The boys all laughed and the girls all looked appropriately offended.

"Perhaps we should permit our stunning hostess to pose the first question?" Bella found herself leaning closer to the velvety voiced boy beside her, despite having Edward standing behind her.

"I'm only acting as hostess. It's Edward's house." Bella felt her face heat up as Lucian leaned over covering her hand with his.

"I'm sure he would acquiesce to allowing you the first question." Edward watched with pursed lips as Lucian caressed Bella's hand. Jealousy was an ugly emotion. It made people act irrationally and nearly always ended with the jealous party looking worse to the person they're trying to impress. However, the other thing about jealousy was that it was nearly impossible to ignore. Especially in teen aged boys.

"Bella, we did this together. We're partners and you're definitely the hostess." Edward placed both of his hands onto Bella's bare shoulders, delighting that his touch caused an involuntary shiver to run through her body. He bit back a smirk of victory as she removed her hand from under Lucian's and placed it on his. He didn't like Jasper's friend. Something about the guy made him think there was an ulterior motive to his presence. He hadn't made any attempt to converse with anyone other than Jasper and the looks he kept shooting Bella were practically pornographic. He looked at her as if he were already planning how to get her into bed and it was really starting to piss him off. He wasn't possessive in nature but he could now feel that emotion running heatedly through his veins.

"Are you sure." Edward nodded and gave Bella's shoulders a gentle squeeze. Bella smiled and turned towards the table, placing her fingers lightly onto the plastic pointer. Angela, Jessica, Mike, Alice and Lucian followed suit but not before giving Edward a pointed stare. The rest of the guests watched from various positions around the table. Edward remained standing behind Bella.

"Um, do I just say it?" Angela nodded. "Okay, spirits of the Ouija board, are you here?" A hush went over the room as all but two occupants waited for a sign. After thirty seconds or so Bella tried again. "Is anyone here? Anyone?" Disappointment was evident in her voice.

"Try asking for someone in particular." Lucian suggested, his breath floated softly over Bella's flushed cheek.

Bella nodded and everyone placed their fingers back on the pointer. "Grandma Swan. Are you here?" All eyes were on the board. The most prevalent sounds were the soft ticking of the wall clock and the hushed breaths of the room's occupants.

"This blows! I told you, it's all hokum!" Mike exclaimed, pulling his fingers off the board in frustration.

"You know what Mike, you've been a pain in the a…" Angela's uncharacteristic tirade came to an abrupt halt when the pointer moved to circle the word 'Yes'."

"Holy shit!" Mike sat back down and promptly resumed his previous position.

"Did you move it?"

'Did you?"

"Guys, stop!"

Everyone tried to speak at once in their excitement.

"Grandma, is that you?" Bella's question rang out over the crowd. Instantly all eyes were back onto the board as the pointer moved again to 'Yes'.

"Keep going!" Mike ordered as the rest of the table nodded in encouragement.

"Grandma, how do I know it's really you?" The pointer immediately began moving to various letters on the board.

"M-A-R-I-E-" Angela called out each letter.

"That's my middle name." Bella whispered, pulling her hands off the pointer as fear took hold. Edward immediately sought to soothe her, his hands tightening on her shoulders.

"Wait, a minute. That doesn't prove anything. I knew your middle name was Marie, mine is James and I'm pretty sure you all knew that seeing as we've known each other since we were babies." Mike scoffed as the rest of the table nodded in agreement. "Ask another question Isabella Marie." Mike ordered, snarkily.

"Um, right. I guess I was just a little nervous…" Suddenly the pointer began to move swiftly across the board.

"A-N-T-O-I-N-E-T-T-E. Who is Antoinette?" Jessica asked, her eyes darting around the table.

"That's my mom's middle name." Bella whispered. Her eyes widened at the sound of a name she had tried not to think about for years. "How do you guys know that? Who is moving the pointer?" Her friends all denied that they were indeed moving the game piece.

Suddenly the pointer began moving rapidly on the board. Everyone's hands moved as the pointer skittered from one letter to another.

"B-E-W-A-R-E- B-E-A-R, H-E-I-S-H-E-R-E." Angela barely repeated the words that had been spelled out before Bella screamed, removing her hands and covering her face. Edward instantly moved to hold the quivering girl.

"Bella, what's wrong? Who is 'Bear'?" Angela asked rushing to her friend's side.

"Grandma- my grandma called me _Bella Bear._ Sometimes just _Bear._ Only my dad and grandpa would know that." Bella stuttered as tears began to fall down her pale cheeks.

"Holy shit! Look!" Mike ordered, pointing to the board where the abandoned pointer was on the move.

"A-N-T-O-I-N-E-T-T-E, N-O-T- G-O-N-E-,D-E-A-D. Oh my God, what does that mean? Jessica screamed as Tyler rushed to console her. Satan's eyes narrowed at the declaration. His hands itched to sweep the game from the table to the floor. He hadn't taken into account that the very doorway that had allowed him through would also allow others to follow. Others that knew of his deeds.

"This isn't funny! Whoever is doing this, stop!" Ben demanded, as he and Angela huddled together next to Edward and the sobbing, Bella. The plastic triangle continued to move despite Ben's plea.

Ba'al looked towards his Master. Satan's stare revealed nothing to the scared humans in the room but to his servant, his anger was clearly evident.

"R-U-N-B-E-A-R. How is that happening." Mike's question hung over the room like a heavy blanket. Eighteen sets of terrified eyes stared at the still moving game piece.

"Jazz, do something." Ba'al turned his attention to the petrified girl at his side. She was shaking with fear, her amber colored eyes brimming with tears. Despite centuries of dormancy, he felt a tug of emotion at his heart at her obvious fear. Without thinking, he moved swiftly over to the table and grabbed the triangle just as it pointed to the letters, S, A and T. The plastic snapped easily in his hands.

A collective sigh went up as he threw the offending object to the floor.

"Thank you." Alice sighed hugging him. He returned her affection, whispering 'You're welcome' into her ear before kissing her sweetly on the cheek.

"What just happened?" Jessica stammered from Mike's arms.

"I told you…"

"That wasn't right…"

"We shouldn't have messed with…" Everyone spoke over each other in their fear.

"Bella, are you alright?" Edward kneeled down in front of the sobbing girl. "Bella, please talk to me." He tugged her shaking hands away from her eyes, her slim shoulders rocked violently with her sobs. He was unprepared for the anguish that was reflected back at him from her watery eyes. She was clearly not alright, and he was at a loss as what to do to help. Edward turned and yelled over his shoulder for his mom.

"You guys, I think we're going to go." Mike said shakily as he and Jessica made their way to the doorway, with most of the group following behind them up the stairs.

"Is she going to be okay?" Angela asked softly, putting a hand on Edward's shoulder.

"I don't know what to do." Edward answered, before yelling for his mom again.

"How? Grandma?…mom?… Dead?" Bella began to babble, her red rimmed eyes looked to her friends for answers they didn't have. Alice and Angela both moved to her side, effectively taking Edward's place. Reluctantly, he now stood as a spectator as they consoled their friend. "What did it mean? Is my mom dead?" Her friends could only shake their hands at her questions.

Jasper and his guest stood off from the small group whispering in low tones while casting glances towards the huddled girls. Ben came to stand next to Edward who was watching helplessly as Bella fell apart.

"Ed, buddy, are you okay?" Ben was uneasy and as much as he wanted to be a friend to Bella and Edward, he really just wanted to get the hell out of there.

Edward ran a shaking hand through his hair. "Honestly, I don't know."

Edward released an obvious sigh of relief at the sight of his mother rushing down the stairs with Kodi following behind.

"What's wrong?" She scanned the room not knowing what to expect from Edward's frantic call.

"Mom, it's Bella." Edward moved aside showing her the distraught girl.

"Sweetheart, what happened?" Esme rushed to Bella, enveloping the girl into a mothering embrace. Bella folded into Esme's arms without a word.

While the focus was on the sobbing girl huddled in Esme Cullen's arms, no one noticed Jasper and Lucian standing off to the side away from the gathered group.

"Who was that?" Ba'al whispered, as he ran a hand through his blond hair. His eyes shifted from the now broken game to Alice's scared orbs. Unlike the humans in the room, he was well aware that spirits roamed the Earth, but even he had been taken aback at the ease that they could enter a human dwelling and spill their non-existent guts.

"It was no one." Satan spat. His Master's tone belied his words. Ba'al knew that the spirit was someone of note.

"Did you kill the mother? The soul has put the girl on alert." Satan's eyes glowed menacingly at his servant's question. He was not used to being questioned and certainly not from an upstart demi-god and a long dead grandmother.

"Enough!" Satan hissed, his voice uncharacteristically low. "The prophecy will proceed, regardless of what the meddling soul has revealed."

"But Sire-"Ba'al's statement died on his lips, under Satan's hard glare.

"I believe it's time for us to take our leave," Satan said dismissively as he moved towards the huddled group. He had initially planned to begin exerting his influence over the boy but the unplanned interference from the Swan's grandmother made that decision seem unwise. However, he refused to leave without another glimpse of his enchanting swan.

Ignoring the uneasy looks from the girl and boy who were surrounding his swan, he moved closer, intent on speaking with her. Perhaps he would attempt to express concern over the recent events… Satan's thought process was interrupted by the incessant barking of the animal at his vessel's feet.

Kodi's deep growls had every head turned in his direction. "Kodi, what's the matter?" Edward attempted to scoop up the animal but was unsuccessful as he squirmed away and took up a guard stance at Bella's feet.

"Kodi, stop." Esme ordered, but was ignored by the increasingly more agitated puppy. "I'm sorry. He almost never barks and he's usually very friendly." Esme promised, while shooting a look at her son to get his dog. The last thing her family needed was to deal with a lawsuit over a dog bite.

Edward tried again to grab his dog only to have him move just out of his reach. Edward shrugged his shoulders at his mother before turning to watch the puppy. Truth be told he shared Kodi's unease about the stranger. Especially since he seemed so interested in Bella.

Ignoring the irritating animal, Satan moved closer to Bella only to stop once again as the animal's growls grew more menacing the closer he got. Kodi was in a frenzy as Satan reached a hand towards the now sniffling girl.

Startled at the puppy's hysterics, Bella bent down and picked him up, forcing Satan to retreat a few feet. Snuffing back her tears, she spoke into Kodi's soft ear. The pup settled down in her arms as soon as the perceived threat moved away from his girl. But he still kept a wary eye on the dark boy that smelled weird.

"I'm so sorry…" Esme apologized, searching for the boy's name.

"Lucian." Satan stated simply as his eyes raked appreciatively over the older woman's attractive figure.

"Uh, yes, Lucian. He's not usually like this. I, um, I don't know what to say." Esme stammered, as she was taken off guard by the boy's almost predatory stare.

"Those types of creatures can be bothersome." He remarked, glaring darkly at the bristling puppy.

"I think it's best that you leave before he loses his mind again." Esme said half-jokingly, hoping that he would get the hint and leave. She was beginning to think that Kodi had reacted correctly in regards to Lucian. Something about the tall young man rubbed her the wrong way.

Lucian tilted his head in agreement. "I agree. I've seen all I needed to." He remarked with a smirk before quickly motioning for Jasper to follow him. Alice was loathe to leave Bella knowing that what had transpired would be both confusing and upsetting to her friend but Jasper tugged her across the room to where Lucian was standing.

Alice pulled away from his hold. "No. I'm staying with Bella." Ba'al watched her scurry away from him at a loss as to how to regain control. Reluctantly, he turned to follow his Dark Master up the stairs, wishing he was free to stay with Alice, but his soul as well as his free will weren't his to do with as he pleased.

Satan moved swiftly through the Cullen home. He took no notice of Esme's decorations placed invitingly on the front porch. He walked past the pumpkins that Edward and Bella had carved, their candles dim in the early morning hours.

The neighborhood children had long ago removed their costumes and trundled off to bed after brushing the extra layer of sugar from their teeth while their parents were left to clean up the carnage from their Beggars Night bounty. None were the wiser that a being of true horror walked among them as they ran from house to house in the dark. Lucky for them this being wasn't interested in them. He'd arrived with a singular task in mind, to see his Swan. He was quite content with what he'd seen, but the meddling of the dead soul complicated things. He could hope that she would forget what she'd heard and not try to decipher the crumbs that were thrown about, but judging from her reaction, he was certain she wouldn't. Would she find anything? Doubtful. He was not in the habit of leaving clues about his deeds. But now her mind would be guarded and preoccupied, which could necessitate more work on his part. And her relationship with his vessel could hurt his cause. Even through the boy's fear and mistrust of him, he had detected joy in his heart. Edward Cullen feeling joy and happiness was not conducive to his plans. He knew that once again he would need to take control of the situation and nudge a few souls in the right direction. Nothing he hadn't done thousands of times. Humans were so easy to manipulate. A lesson that God had learned with his Genesis pair and something that Satan used to his own advantage on a fairly regular basis.

The sounds of Ba'al's footsteps following at a respectful distance broke into Satan's silent reverie. During his musings, they'd traveled East through the tiny burg of Forks and were now on what inhabitants referred to as, _the seedy side of town_. Satan abruptly stopped in front of a dingy and dark building. His nose twitched with the acrid smell of sin in the air. Satan entered the _Tip Top Bar and Grille_ and surveyed the patrons. Ignoring the drunks and brokenhearted that littered the place like soiled napkins, he zeroed in on the two whores standing in front of the decrepit jukebox. Their tired and overly made-up eyes brightened as he approached. They weren't as physically appealing as the women he kept in Hell but he found that he enjoyed sex in a human body with human women. Their free will gave him a chance to practice his skills. He could of course force them, but he found talking a whore into giving it up for free, entertaining.

Tonight had not gone according to plan and if there was nothing Satan hated more, it was a failed plan. A good fucking wouldn't make up for what had transpired tonight, but it would at least be enjoyable. Ignoring Ba'al's whining, he began his game on the giant tittied blonde.

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 **A/N- I'm seriously bummed that TDP didn't make it to the second round at the Twilightfandomawards, but I want to thank all of those that voted for this little tale. I'm sorry that I didn't do better for you.**

 **Here's to love, good health and happiness to all of you in 2017!**

 **~ruinedbyrob**


	13. Chapter 13

**Much love to my pre-reader Sazzledazzled, my beta Edwardsfirstkiss and my banner maker 2brown-eyes. You guys are the best and I couldn't do this without you!**

 **I screwed around with this chapter after Edwardsfirstkiss looked at it. All mistakes are mine.**

 **We all know that SM owns Twilight, but The Devil is my own twisted idea.**

* * *

 **The Devil's Plan**

Chapter 13

 _The Party is Over_

Despite Esme's invitation to spend the night, Bella just wanted to go home. After the night's events, she craved the familiar and comforting surroundings of home. Charlie Swan was not one to become overly concerned over a phone call, but when he'd heard his daughter's shaky voice asking him to pick her up at the Cullen's, he didn't hesitate to pause the movie he was watching and make his way across town. His parental instincts kicked in and all he could focus on was getting to his baby girl.

Charlie Swan had been the Forks' Police Chief for nearly thirteen years, and prided himself about his knowledge of his town's inhabitants, but he had yet to make it out to the Cullen house. He had to admit that he was more than mildly curious as to what had brought a renowned surgeon, his successful business owner, wife, and All-State running back son to tiny Forks. There wasn't much known about the youngest Cullen, except that his daughter was quite enamored with him. Depending on how things went with Bella, he might do a bit of light questioning to fill in the blanks. While Bella had assured him on the phone that her distress hadn't been caused by Edward, Charlie had already decided to give the Cullen boy a good once over.

Walking up the front steps, Charlie noticed the numerous carved pumpkins that were littered around the porch. Their distorted grins now dark as their candles had died down. Side-eyeing the hopefully fake skeleton that sat in a heap by the stairs, he rapped on the door.

The door opened quickly revealing an attractive woman. "Charlie, I'm Esme Cullen. I'm so sorry that we had to meet under these circumstances." Charlie shook Esme's offered hand.

"Yes, well, I get that a lot." He chuckled, trying to lighten the mood a bit with a little police humor.

Esme smiled, grateful for the moment of levity. "Come in." She ushered him into the well-appointed foyer. "I'll get the kids." Charlie nodded as she walked away. His police instincts took over and he took a moment to survey his surroundings. While the home was clearly decorated to the hilt for the holiday, there was nothing visible that would upset his daughter to the point where he was called. Something must have happened with the boy he decided.

His plans to grill Edward were cut short as the suspect in question came in to view, followed closely by Alice and his puffy-red eyed daughter. Charlie wasted no words as Bella rushed into his arms. His strong and independent girl looked scared and fragile. He didn't like it. "Are you alright, baby?" Bella nodded into his chest, visibly relieved to be in his arms.

"What happened?" Bella remained silent but hugged him tighter. Not used to having his questions unanswered, he looked to the assembled group for answers. Edward and Alice both stared at him with their sad eyes fixed on Bella.

"It appears that a game got out of hand." Esme offered, coming to stand next to her son. "I wasn't there, but it seems that whatever happened seriously affected Bella."

"A game? What kind of game?" Charlie asked sternly as his mind immediately raced to the types of games he'd played as a teen boy. Had one of the boys gotten handsy in a closet? Was Bella forced to do something she didn't want to do? His blood began to boil at the thought. "Boy, you better answer me. If you or anyone else laid a hand on her…" His steely-eyed glare focused on Edward.

"Edward." Esme nudged her son. She could tell what direction Charlie's thoughts had taken and her son needed to defend himself.

"No sir! It wasn't anything like that." Charlie continued to stare as he awaited the rest of the boy's explanation. "It was a game of Ouija."

"What the hell is Aweegie?" Charlie's pronunciation of the game's title would have been comical had the situation been different. Charlie was less worried about the game's title and more concerned that there was a new teen sex craze he'd now have to research and train his staff on.

"It's a board game that calls on spirits." Alice answered, as she walked over to him and put a comforting hand on Bella's back. "We think Grandma Swan came through." At the mention of her grandma, Bella pulled away and looked up at her father. Charlie quizzically looked down at his daughter. After his parents had died he and Bella had both grieved but they weren't ones to see ghosts in every dark corner.

"It was grandma. She called me 'Bear' and she mentioned mom." Bella choked up and buried her head back into her father's chest as her small frame was wracked with almost violent sobs. Charlie looked helplessly at Esme. He had no idea what his daughter was talking about or why it had affected her to the point where she could barely stay upright under her own power.

"It's a game from the sixties, you call on a spirit and a plastic pointer moves to reveal answers. I had forgotten I still had it." Esme added sadly.

"It moves on its own?"

"No, you put your finger tips on it and then it moves." Charlie nodded at Alice's explanation.

He was still in the dark as to Bella's severe reaction. But he now had a better idea of what had happened. Someone had played a joke on her, a very cruel joke. They'd picked the one thing that still haunted him and his daughter, Renee's abrupt departure from their lives. He would ferret out the jokesters later, first he would get Bella home and calmed down.

"Let's get you home." Bella nodded and turned to face the worried faces of Esme and Edward.

"Esme, thank you for everything. I'm sorry that-"

Before Bella could finish her sentence, Esme had her in a tight hug. "Don't you be sorry about a thing sweetheart." Esme whispered in to her hair before giving her a kiss on the forehead. "If you need anything, you call me. Okay?" Bella promised she would and then turned to Edward. She was at a loss as to what to say to him. She was embarrassed over her reaction but somehow knew that he wouldn't hold it against her. She also knew that he deserved an explanation but she'd have to figure out what had actually happened before she could offer one.

"Edward, I, um…"

"You don't have to say anything. It was um, a strange night." Edward smiled and took her hand gently.

Bella's hand tingled where it touched Edward's hand. His presence through the night had been comforting. But his current touch reminded her that there had been a moment at the beginning of the night that alluded to a chance for the night to end up with a kiss and possibly a declaration of feelings between the two of them. She was sad that circumstances had over shadowed that moment.

"Yeah." She breathed out quietly.

"It's late. Alice do you need a ride home." Charlie's voice broke into Bella's thoughts.

Alice's expression instantly registered that fact that she didn't have a ride home because she'd refused to leave earlier with Jasper. Her mind raced to comprehend what she'd done and what the ramifications might be. She hadn't even considered leaving the Cullen's with Bella in such a state. Every instinct she possessed had screamed at her to stay. She'd felt that she had to stay and protect Bella. From what she wasn't altogether sure. However there was no question in her mind that at that moment she wasn't going to leave Bella's side. Now that Bella was safe, again she couldn't tell from what, Alice had to wonder how Jasper was going to react and how was she going to handle it if he broke up with her?

"Yes, please."

"Of course. Let's get out of the Cullen's hair. I'm sure they'd like to call it a night." It was nearly two in the morning. To Charlie's way of thinking the only people out this late were up to no good.

With one last thank you to Esme and a nod to Edward, he gathered the girls and guided them to the car. Bella never let go of Alice as they got into the squad car. The drive home was silent with neither girl uttering a word. Alice and Bella embraced at Alice's door, her mother's shadow could be seen hovering just inside the modest home awaiting her daughter's return.

"Your mom is going to be pissed you're so late." Bella remarked, motioning towards the house.

"Probably. But I don't care. Promise you'll call in the morning or whenever if you need me?" Bella nodded, thankful to have her friend back. Alice gave her another hug, whispering into her hair. "We'll figure this out. Don't worry." She promised before walking into the house.

Charlie and Bella drove the three blocks to their house. Neither speaking as they entered the Swan home. Bella immediately headed for her room. Charlie watched with concern as she walked up the stairs. Bella was halfway up when she turned back to a confused Charlie.

"Dad, I know it was grandma." Bella stuttered as the tears threatened to pour out.

Charlie winced at the sound of distress in her voice. Her pain was obvious. "Honey, it's easy to get excited and allow your mind to play tricks on you. Grandma Marie loved you very much and you miss her. It's okay to wish that she was here. But she's gone. Get some sleep and we'll talk about it in the morning." He cupped her cheeks, placing a kiss on her forehead, totally avoiding any mention of his wayward wife.

Bella pulled away shaking her head as she continued her climb. How was she supposed to forget what had happened?

 **~~TDP~~**

"Good morning, Son. How was the party?" Edward's sleepy eyes focused on his father. Carlisle Cullen was sitting in the corner of the kitchen with the Sunday paper laid out before him, a giant R2D2 mug, a father's day gift from Emmett, of coffee sitting to his right. "Judging from both you and your mother's matching expressions; it must have been quite the good time. I'm sorry I missed it."

Edward sighed and took the seat across from his father. After only terse statements and yelled accusations for the last six months, he was still trying to get used to having casual conversations with his dad. Today he really needed the father that had been there before the incident. He was confused, and a bit scared over about night's events. It was so late after Bella left that his mother had gently kissed him good night and sent him upstairs, promising that they would talk in the morning. Visions of Bella's beautiful face twisted in fear and sadness had haunted his sleep. He still wasn't sure what had happened, and it had preoccupied his thoughts all night.

"Edward, did you hear me?" Edward shook his head, attempting to clear his head fog. He looked as if he'd been at an all-night frat party. Something he was sure that most fathers would be used to seeing on their seventeen year- old son's face, and certainly a look that he was no stranger to seeing on Emmett's face but on Edward, it was concerning. The fact that he'd glimpsed the same expression on his wife's face as he'd tried to tempt her into an early morning tryst, had provided nothing but questions about what happened last night.

"I'm sorry, what?" Carlisle studied his youngest son with a discerning eye. Edward's eyes were puffy with dark circles under his eyes. His hair was abnormally oily and his usually pale skin looked even more translucent than normal.

"Son, what happened last night?"

"I don't honestly know," Edward said quietly. "Whatever it was, it was bad and I don't know what to do about it." Carlisle watched his son lay his head onto the kitchen table. He knew that his first instinct should have been to offer some kind of comfort. A pat on the shoulder, a hug, kind words… But after the trouble they'd been forced to deal with over the last six months, his first thought was to ask Edward what he'd done.

Carlisle tamped down his first instinct, he took a deep breath and looked his son in the eye. "Tell me what happened. Maybe I can help."

Edward took a deep breath and a leap of faith and proceeded to retell the events from the night before. As he repeated the story, Carlisle stayed silent, listening intently, only pausing for a moment when the now docile, Kodi appeared in the kitchen wanting to be fed and let outside.

"…And then she just lost it. I didn't know what to do, so I called for mom. With both Kodi and Bella acting hysterical the whole place was just crazy."

"Wait, Kodi was acting up?" Edward nodded. "What did he do?" Carlisle was very surprised to hear what his son said next. So far the chubby puppy had given them no reason for concern. He rarely barked at anyone. Not the mailman, the UPS driver not even the veterinarian when she'd given him his puppy shots. Kodi got excited about two things, one of his family walking through the door after even a short absence and the prospect of getting a cookie. Otherwise the animal barely moved except to accept said cookie or to roll over for a belly rub. This was completely out of character for the little guy.

"When exactly did he begin to act up?" Edward thought for a moment, the night's events blurred before him as he tried to pinpoint the moment.

"Um, I guess it was when he and mom came down to help Bella."

"Okay then he was probably reacting to Bella's state of mind. He loves that girl."

"No, it was worse than that. Mom and I both told him to stop and when I tried to pick him up, he moved away from me and then when Lucian got close to Bella, he stood guard at her feet and then all hell broke loose." Carlisle's previous simple explanation withered with the new information.

"Lucian?"

"He's a friend of Jasper's, um Alice's boyfriend. Alice is Bella's best friend." He added after his father continued to look confused.

"Do you know him?" Edward shook his head. "Did he say or do anything to Bella to upset her?"

"Not that I know of. After everything happened and Bella was upset, he came towards her, I guess to say goodbye. That's when Kodi really went nuts. He wouldn't let Lucian get near her."

"Was his manner threatening?" Edward wanted to say yes, but didn't want his personal feelings about Bella to cloud his judgment about the boy.

"No, not really." He added.

"Edward, we could have a serious problem if Kodi decides to start attacking people with no provocation. Think, son."

"I thought he was kind of strange. He looked at Bella like she was his possession. It was weird. And he didn't really speak to anyone but Jasper and Bella, he just stood in the corner watching everyone with his dark broody eyes." The floodgates were open. Edward let everything out. "And it felt as if he were egging her on to play the stupid game, which is bazaar because when the shit hit the fan, he didn't look happy about it all."

Carlisle slowly digested what his son was saying. It was apparent that the boy hadn't made a good impression on his son, but was that more because he'd had designs on Bella rather than the boy's character? None of that explained Kodi's reaction. He decided to change directions.

"Okay, this boy, Lucian sounds a tad creepy-."Edward snorted and crossed his arms over his stomach at his father's assertion that Lucian was merely _creepy._ "-but you've said nothing about what else was going on. What happened to Bella?" Edward's eyes softened, he uncrossed his arms, and leaned his elbows on his knees as he tried to come up with the words to explain the events to his father when he had yet to fully comprehend them himself.

"Dad, it was scary. The pointer thingy started spelling out words, everyone was yelling and then Bella said that it was her dead grandma talking. She turned white as a ghost and burst into tears." Edward recalled. "And then it got worse. The thing started spelling out stuff that didn't make sense. All the girls got scared. Ben, Mike, Tyler, they all wanted to leave. Everyone was freaked out. Including me."

Carlisle wasn't one to get caught up in ghosts or things of that nature. He was a surgeon, a scientist. He believed in things he could see, touch and feel. But something had sent most of Fork's teen brigade into a frenzy last night. "What did the game spell out?"

Edward looked up to him with sad, serious eyes. "That Bella's mom was dead."

 **~~TDP~~**

Sunlight filtered through the lavender curtains of Bella Swan's bedroom, bringing with it the promise of warmth and a rare opportunity to plan an outside activity without fear of rain. But Bella didn't care about either of those things. Sighing, she rolled over, not even attempting to find a dry spot on her pillow. She'd spend most of the night with her body twisted in misery and tears falling from her eyes.

Isabella Marie Swan had always believed in the truth. She'd been taught from an early age that lying was not only wrong but disrespectful and Charlie Swan had raised a respectful child. He didn't lie to his daughter. When her beloved gerbil died when she was five years-old, Charlie didn't quickly dispose of _Gary_ , and replace him with _Gary 2.0_. He'd simply told his child that her pet had died and had held her while she cried before assisting her with a small funeral in the backyard. When Charlie's father had been diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer and was given weeks to live, nine year- old Bella was told the hard truth about her grandfather's condition. To no one's surprise, the resilient child absorbed the truth and proceeded to spend every free moment she had, making sure her grandfather's last days were full of the love and laughter that only a beloved grandchild could provide. When Renee disappeared, Charlie had used every bit of his professional knowledge and skill, every favor and every spare cent he had to try to locate his wife. All to no avail. When Renee left, she had taken her car, suitcase and whatever money she had in her wallet. There wasn't a note to explain why she was leaving her husband and daughter. After two years of fruitless searching, Charlie told Bella that her mom had left them for good. What he couldn't tell her was why she'd left. Because he didn't know the answer.

He still didn't. But the events in the Cullen's basement had brought up questions. Bella was letting go of the fact that the answers had come by way of her deceased grandmother, she would deal with that later, but the fact the being was claiming that her mother was dead, not gone, but dead, was causing the young woman immeasurable pain.

Heaving a big sigh, she forced herself to get out of bed. Her young bones creaked with age that she didn't possess. Bella ignored her body's plea for more rest. If she had slowed down enough to catch a glimpse of herself in the mirror over her dresser, she would have been aghast at her appearance. The deep patches of dark skin under each eye aside, her hair was sticking up in every which way and in terrible knots making her look like a human version of the mythical, Medusa. However, her appearance was the least of her worries, she was on a mission.

Charlie Swan's mind set rivaled his daughter's. After sending her to bed and assuring her that everything would be better in the morning, he'd done something that he only did once a year. He'd gotten out the bottle of Glenfidditch Single Malt Scotch, the one he kept in his bottom desk drawer and his wedding photo. After taking a healthy slug of the scotch, he'd picked up the picture, tracing Renee's face in wistful remembrance. Her hair light brown hair had been tightly wound upon her head with loose curls falling around her heart shaped face. In the photo her light blue eyes had been shining brightly up at him as he'd smiled proudly into the lens. Their hands clasped tightly together in newly-wedded bliss.

"Why Renee? What happened to change how you felt about me? What was so important that you had to leave us?" These questions remained unanswered as they had every year he'd asked them. After another shot of scotch, Charlie would usually place the bottle and the picture back into the bottom drawer to be locked away for another year, but tonight wasn't the date of their wedding. Charlie had broken protocol and asked the questions for their daughter, not for himself. He'd tried not to hate Renee for throwing him away but it had been very difficult to do so when he looked into the eyes of his beautiful daughter. Bella deserved better. She'd deserved the love and care of both her parents. The thought that some rotten delinquent brought up her loss in a game, in front of a room full of her friends-made Charlie see red.

They'd told her that her mother was dead. Something he'd wondered about but could never prove and for moments throughout the past years, he'd hoped it was true. It would be so much easier to believe that Renee hadn't chosen to throw them both away because of a small fight they'd had. He'd tried to find Renee and had failed. He'd tried to raise their daughter to be strong and secure in her father's love but after seeing Bella come apart over a hooligan's trick, he was now afraid he'd failed there too.

The late hour and the alcohol made him feel a bit fuzzy. Charlie decided to forego the long walk upstairs to his bedroom, instead flopping down onto the well-worn leather couch in the corner. He left the scotch on the desk but he couldn't make his fingers let go of the picture.

The first thing Bella noticed as she walked into her father's office was the uncapped bottle of amber colored liquor sitting on the desk. She replaced the cap but left it and the shot glass out. Her father rarely drank anything harder than beer. However it didn't concern her to see that he'd needed something a bit stronger to get through the night. She'd almost wished there had been something available to her to force sleep.

A loud snore from the corner couch drew her attention. There lay her father. His arm thrown over his eyes, blocking out the sunshine and presumably anything else that might interrupt his drunken slumber. Bella crept closer, noticing that he was still in the same clothes he'd worn last night. He had no blanket protecting him from the early morning chill that had penetrated the walls of their home. Her initial intent to confront him with her questions softened a bit when she saw the picture he had clutched in his hand. Sighing, Bella gently removed the frame from his grasp and looked down on the image. Her parents looked so happy. Their love for each other evident on their young faces. Bella slumped down onto the floor next to the couch. Her eyes traced every detail of her mother's face, recognizing the shape of her eyes as the same as her mother's. Bella realized that though she shared many of the same features as Renee, there wasn't much else she knew about her mother. Growing up, Bella had been so worried about upsetting Charlie that she had kept her questions to a minimum. Grandma Swan had filled in a few blanks, admitting that her knowledge of Renee Antoinette Cygnus had been limited to a few sparse facts as Renee had come to Forks to live with a distant cousin after losing her parents in a car accident when she was only twelve years old. She knew her mother was an only child and had been born in Italy. She knew her maternal grandparents names; Isabella and Giordano Cygnus. Even though she'd never met them she'd felt a bit of pride that she carried a part of them with her, albeit only a name. But she had almost no knowledge of her mother as a child, teenager or even as a mother. Her memories were fuzzy and incomplete as a young child's tended to be. She wondered if Renee liked to read as much as she did. Was her mother musical? Bella could barely carry a tune. What was her mother's favorite color, flower, or food?

What had transpired in the Cullen's basement had left her reeling. Both her heart and head had been ripped to shreds with the words that had appeared.

Not to mention how they had appeared.

She had initially come downstairs to confront her father with those words, but now as she saw the aftermath of Charlie's night, she realized that there was no way he would have allowed her to think that Renee had walked away from her if he had any proof of anything else. Grieving over a parent's death, as truly awful as that would be, would have been preferable to thinking that you weren't wanted.

Bella tried so hard to be strong and to not allow her mother's defection rule her life. However there were times when she couldn't escape the feelings of loss. Tears slid down her cheek to land on her mother's image.

"Bella, baby, come here." Bella immediately fell into her father's arms. He rocked his girl and whispered comforting words into her hair as she cried. When he'd awoken and saw her with the picture, he'd realized that in trying to shield her from all that bad that Renee had left them, he'd also shielded her from Renee's good points.

"Baby, I can't explain what happened at the Cullen's, but maybe it's time I give you all the answers I do have?"

Bella pulled away and looked up at her father. "I would like that."

 **~~TDP~~**

"And how did your night go?" Ba'al regarded Astarte with contempt. She was just getting in after what he could only guess was a night of debauchery with the Cullen child, while he'd had the displeasure of having to watch all they had worked toward teeter on the precipice of ruin due to a gossiping spirit, before his master decided to end the night by demonstrating how he used to "Fuck the Whore of Babylon". In a nutshell, it hadn't gone well, and he was legitimately worried that they wouldn't gain their freedom.

"We're fucked." He stated simply, and watched the blood drain from her face.

* * *

 **Sooooo, not a lot of action in this chapter. But I felt our characters needed to come to grips with the night's events. Please be patient, answers are coming. I promise.**

 **Please leave me a review. I'd like to think someone besides my sister is reading this. LOL!**

 **Until next time, be happy and safe.**

 **ruinedbyrob**


	14. Chapter 14

**Welcome, welcome** to all of you wonderful readers that have decided to come on this ride with me. Many thanks to Diane Tant Daniel for recommending TDP and to archy12 for passing the info on to me! And huge hugs to my friend Rita01tx, who was gracious enough to feature The Devil's Plan on her blog, Rob Attack. If you haven't already, I highly recommend you check out her Friday Features. She recs the BEST stuff!

Much love to my team; Sazzledazzled, Edwardsfirskiss and 2brown-eyes for lending their talents and time to this cause.

SM owns Twilight. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

 **The Devil's Plan**

 **Chapter 14**

 ** _Knowledge Gained_**

Father and daughter remained tightly embraced for several minutes before Charlie shifted them to sit comfortably on the couch. They sat side by side Charlie's arm was wrapped tightly around his daughter as she laid her head on his shoulder.

"Bella, I'm afraid that I haven't always been the best father." Charlie smiled appreciatively at his daughter's head-shaking denial. "Thank you, baby but I'm afraid that I allowed my need to move forward, my need to forget your mother to cloud my judgement. You deserve to know where you come from. Unfortunately, what I know of your mother's history isn't much but I can tell you what I know."

Bella didn't know where to start but in spite of the words that had haunted her all night, she now felt that the beginning was a good place.

"Tell me about her." She whispered.

"You have to understand that there's a lot I don't know. Your mom didn't know a lot of her own history and honestly we were so young when we fell in love there weren't a lot of long conversations." Charlie cringed a bit when he admitted that piece of information. While he and Renee had, in most people's eyes acted recklessly when they had gotten married right after graduation and then had Bella a little over a year later, Charlie had felt there was no point in waiting. He'd known Renee was the one for him and that was it. However, now he understood his parents' concerns and didn't want his daughter to act on impulse as he had. He wanted her to go to college, meet some people have some fun and _then_ settle down.

"What was she like?" Bella asked, avoiding the whole teen parent conversation.

"She was beautiful. Her eyes never stopped moving. It was as if she were afraid to fix on one thing because she'd miss another. She was always seeing something I wasn't. Like a batch of honeysuckle in a meadow full of flowers. She would seek out that tiny patch and pay no attention to the larger, more colorful flora. Your mom could see beauty within beauty." Charlie chuckled at the memory. "She was so graceful. I would watch her walk across a room and feel as if I were watching a ballet. Every move she made had a purpose and a quiet grace. Renee loved music. She couldn't sing a note, but that didn't stop her from trying. She used to sing to you all the time, you never complained." Bella smiled into her father's shirt. Lack of musical ability was something she shared with her mom.

"She was always full of energy, always trying to touch, see, and experience everything. I think the fact that her parents died young made her try to do everything at once. And then when she discovered that so many had shared their fate, she was even worse."

"Wait. I thought it was just her parents that died young?" Bella asked as Charlie's stomach grumbled loudly, reminding them that breakfast needed to happen soon.

"Why don't we move to the kitchen? I could use breakfast." Bella agreed, and they moved into the kitchen.

After a hearty bowl of oatmeal with raisins, complete with coffee for Charlie and a mug of hot cocoa for Bella, their conversation resumed.

"You already know that you grandparents died when your mom was twelve years old." Bella nodded. "Well, they were in their mid- thirties when they died and both of them had lost their parents at a young age too. In fact, it's kind of a curse both families share."

"You mean your family…?"

"Yes." He nodded, solemnly while wiping coffee droplets off his beard.

Bella wracked her brain trying to remember anything her grandparents had revealed about their parents. She could recall bits and pieces but none of them added up to knowing that they had all died young.

"How? How did they all die?" Charlie put his mug down and slowly rubbed his forehead. Bella watched the familiar wrinkles appear on her father's forehead. She recognized them as the ones that routinely showed up when she asked a question that he didn't particularly want to answer. "Dad." She persisted, urging him to continue. She needed him to fill in the gaps. Now more than ever.

"You have to remember that at that time society didn't care as much about safety as it does now. Seat belts, fire alarms, fire exits, even hand rails in public buildings are relatively new in the grand scheme of things. My first car didn't even have air bags. Just remember that and don't read too much in to it." He paused and took a drink of his coffee before continuing. "One set of grandparents died in a plane crash, the other in a train derailment. My great-grandparents Swan were killed in a hotel fire and my great-grandparents White were killed in a home robbery."

Bella absorbed this information for a moment before asking. "Why didn't I know this?"

"Honey, it's not a great history. My parents didn't discuss it. I think they were worried that if they dwelled on it, then they might forget to live their lives and instead constantly worry about what might be around the corner. So, they did what they wanted, and we didn't dwell on it."

"You do that." Bella said, her voice low with concern. Charlie's eyebrows cocked questioningly. "I mean, you're a cop for coconut's sake. If you worried about this curse thing, you'd be a shoe salesmen or something and grandpa was a volunteer fireman. Both of you picked dangerous jobs."

"I can't say that I never thought about the fates of my ancestors, but my mom and dad never let it direct their choices. And I guess neither did I." He looked into the depths of his empty coffee cup, as the memories of his parents invaded his thoughts.

"It stopped with them right? I mean grandpa got sick when he was in his late sixties and grandma was older when she died." Bella's voice held a slight edge of panic.

"If you want to believe that there is some kind of curse then, yeah, my parents were the first to have died of a disease or old age in a really long time. "

Bella's head was swimming with this knowledge. What it all had to do with the horrendous events of last night, she wasn't sure but she felt there was more she needed to know.

Charlie looked at his daughter. Her usual bright and cheerful brown eyes looked dark and sad. He hated the dark circles that marred her beautiful face and the lines that pulled at the corners of her usually smiling face. As a father it hurt him to see her in so much pain. He wished there was something he could say to take all of the hurt away.

"There's more isn't there?" Her father nodded, solemnly. Bella sat still in her seat and tried to recall all that she knew about both families. "Did they all die with only having one child?"

"Yes."

"I guess that explains why I don't have any cousins." Bella had often lamented over her lack of cousins but she hadn't realized the extent of the situation. Even though having children was far, far down on her agenda she still wanted them.

"But grandma and grandpa didn't die young. Why didn't they have more children?"

"Mom was diagnosed with severe endometriosis after I was born. She had a hysterectomy when I was eight years old. She couldn't have more children."

"And mom's mom died before she could have more children?" Charlie's face grew slack and his eyes dipped down to the table top. His moustache twitched nervously as he prepared to answer.

"That's a sad story, and something your mom had only recently discovered before she left. Your grandmother had been pregnant with a son when she died. He would have been the first, second child born to either of our families in a very long time."

"Mom would have had a brother. I would have had an uncle." Bella sat quietly, trying to absorb the information. She found herself wanting to cry tears over the family member she and her mother had lost.

"Yes, when she found out, she was heartbroken." Charlie looked away as his guilt over what he perceived as his part in Renee's leaving spread over his entire being.

"Dad, why did she leave?" Here it was, Charlie thought. This was the question he'd been dreading.

"Baby, that's a question I wish I had a clear answer for. I know pieces of the puzzle but I've never been able to put them all together in order to give you a full answer. But let me promise you, that your mother loved you and whatever it was that drove her to leave, it had nothing to do with you." Bella nodded slowly as tears began to form in her eyes. Charlie reached over and covered her hand with his. "Are you sure you want to know all of this?"

"Daddy, how can I not?" Her voice creaked with emotion as her eyes beseeched him for the truth.

"I think your mother left because of me." Charlie's shoulders slumped, all the air left his lungs as he began his tale. "We'd been fighting. It was stupid. So stupid." Tears began to fall from the strong man's eyes. His pain was as evident as his daughter's.

"What did you fight about?" The last thing Bella wanted to do was see her father hurt. He had given her an amazing life. She grew up knowing she was loved and cherished, but the time had come for her to know the whole story.

"Just dumb and meaningless stuff, if I had known how strongly she felt…Maybe I could have chosen different words or let it go. I don't know." Guilt wracked his body as he began to shake.

"Dad, please. Tell me." Bella's steady hand on his arm broke through his grief.

Charlie wiped his tears, smiling at his amazing daughter. "She'd found a book, I guess most people would consider it a family bible. You know, those books where it lists the births, marriages and deaths of the family members?" Bella nodded quickly. She'd heard of them but had never seen one. "The thing must have been packed away in Theresa's things. You probably don't remember her. She died when you were a baby."

"She's the person who took mom in when her parents died?"

"Yes. She was your grandmother's childhood friend. Everyone referred to her as a cousin, it was just easier to explain. Anyway, when she died, her partner Carrie, shipped your mother a box full of her old belongings. Clothes, records, a couple of books…Renee didn't really mess with them much. Taking care of a very active and inquisitive toddler took up a lot of her time." He smiled to himself, lost in the thought of baby Bella.

"When she finally got around to going through the box, she found it. And she became obsessed. I understood, up to a point. We were both missing pieces of our family history. But her obsession quickly became out of hand and then she started coming up with these ridiculous theories about why everyone had died young and why they only had one child. She began researching the occult and The Devil. Your mom had been brought up Catholic when she lived in Italy but Theresa, for obvious reasons, didn't push her to continue when she moved here. But all of a sudden your mother couldn't get enough information about religion. She started taking you to the local Catholic Church, insisting that you be baptized because she was convinced something was after you. I fought for your right to choose for yourself when you got older but she was sure it was the only way to keep you safe. That's another thing we left unresolved." He added, sadly.

"We'd never been too religious, and after grandma died I didn't even make you go to Sunday school anymore. I've always believed that spirituality came from within, not from a room full of people singing songs. I think I pulled away even more from all of that because of how your mother had acted." He paused and looked earnestly into his daughter's eyes. "I hope I made the right decision." Bella frowned. "I mean, not having you baptized. Was that the right thing for you?

Bella was frustrated for a moment at how off track the conversation had gotten. What did it matter if she were baptized or not? She believed in Christ as her savior but did she need to have water dripped over her head to prove it? "Dad, it's fine. Don't worry." She tried to put him at ease and for a moment, Charlie looked slightly relieved.

"Okay. Your mom, was consumed with keeping you safe from this perceived danger. She researched every religious text the Forks and Port Angeles library had. We fought constantly about it. Every day there was a new theory until…" Charlie paused, lost in his thoughts.

"Until what?" Bella pressed.

"Until right before she left." Charlie sighed heavily before continuing. His dark eyes looking anywhere but the face of his daughter. "She told me she'd figured it out. We fought about it. We were young, and I was a hot headed young man. I wanted my wife's priority to be me and our child. Not some ridiculous theory about the Devil and ancient fates or some nonsense. But she wouldn't let it go, she insisted we pack up and go to Italy. She threatened to take you by herself if I wouldn't go. She wanted to investigate her parent's deaths, the deaths of their parents…She insisted that their deaths weren't accidents. She had a hair brained idea that they had been murdered." Bella gasped. Her hand coming up to cover her mouth as her eyes widened.

"Murdered?" She whispered shakily. Bella was lost. It was one thing to know that your family had a history of dying young in tragic accidents. But it was quite another to think they may not have been accidents.

"Why…What made her think that?"

"She found passages, more like foot notes in that stupid book that she believed pointed to them all dying for a specific reason."

Bella almost didn't want to ask what that reason was. "What was the reason?"

Charlie's shoulders slumped with the weight of what he was about to say. "She believed that they all died so they wouldn't have more children. That some-outside _force_ was acting to make sure that she was the last of that line."

"But you had me. So I'm the last?"

"Yes. You're the last of both the White-Swan and Nero-Cygnus lines." Bella pondered what her father had just said. She knew her mother's maiden name. But had never given it much thought except that she thought it was cool being part Italian, but for some reason she suddenly felt that it was imperative she knew what it meant.

"What does Cygnus mean?"

"It um, it means Swan."

Bella's mouth fell open in surprise. "You mean I'm the progeny of a White-Swan and a Black-Swan?" Bella asked incredulously. While it wasn't entirely unheard of two unrelated people with the same last name to marry. It sure wasn't common and the fact that her family had such a strange history was stating to cause her to wonder at the coincidence and the whole thing was making her feel uneasy.

"Your mother used to say that it was destiny that we found each other." Charlie chuckled darkly, making Bella think that he was definitely not a believer. But like her mother, she felt that the coincidence was just a little too coincidental.

Way too coincidental.

"And you think that she left in search of answers? Once she found or didn't find what she was looking for, why didn't she come back?"

"That's what I've been trying to figure out all these years."

"Did you look in Italy?"

"Bella, believe me. I used every tool available. I searched for her all over America and even though at the time she left, her passport had expired, I still searched in Europe. No one has ever reported seeing any sign of her."

"Then how can you be so sure that what grandma said isn't true? How can you say she isn't dead?!" Bella asked in a high pitched and almost frantic tone. Bella bringing up the absurd thought his dead mother had spoken to her through a game woke Charlie from his depressed stupor.

As a police officer, Charlie had been trained to read a person's body language. His daughter was becoming hysterical. "Stop!" He ordered, grabbing her shaking hands in both of his. They were cold, indicative of someone who was in the throes of an anxiety attack. "You have to calm down." He ordered sternly as her breathing accelerated.

"This is exactly what I was afraid would happen. You have to listen to me." He gently, but firmly took Bella by the shoulders and forced to look at him. He hated the blank look in her big brown eyes.

"She packed a bag and dropped you off at grandma's house. Her car was seen heading south out of town. There's no evidence of an accident or abduction. She ran away. That's it. And when I get my hands on whichever of those little bastards made you believe that grandma was talking to you…Baby, it was a joke. Nothing but a cruel joke. I promise." As Bella absorbed the facts her body began to calm, but her mind still raced with everything she'd learned.

"Dad…" Bella pleaded, before collapsing in her father's arms. Her mind and body were exhausted. She felt like one of Charlie's boats bobbing in the waves. She was untethered and didn't know which direction to turn.

"I know baby. I know." Charlie whispered into her hair, rocking her gently side to side. "It's hard. We're okay. You're okay." He promised, attempting to soothe his frantic child.

Charlie lost track of how long they'd been embracing. He'd only noticed, with relief, that her breathing had normalized and that her loud sobbing had ceased.

"Sweetheart?" He pulled back gently to look into her tear stained face. "Are you alright?"

Bella nodded, wiping the remnants of her latest crying episode from her still wet cheeks. Bella wasn't a crier. But today she felt as though her body had emptied itself of every drop of moisture it contained. Her hands felt dry, and she was getting a killer headache.

"I need a drink." She offered embarrassed by her scratchy voice. Charlie reluctantly let go of her and watched as she stood at the sink drinking glass after glass of water. After slaking her thirst, she brought him a glass and resumed her seat. Charlie thankfully drank the liquid and watched his girl. She'd grown very calm, which was a decidedly better state than before, but the way she looked caused him some concern. The only word that came to mind to describe the way his daughter looked was, hollow.

"Honey, why don't you go upstairs and take a nap?" He didn't know if all of her questions had been answered but he feared for her health if they continued.

"Okay." She agreed in a quiet voice and sad eyes. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and began walking out of the room towards the stairs. Charlie rubbed a hand across his weary face, thinking he might take a nap himself, when she turned back towards him.

"Dad?"

"Yeah, baby?"

"Do you still have that book?"

* * *

 _Thoughts? Questions? Concerns? Are you still with me? I hope so. Things are just about to get good!_

 _As always, thank you so much for reading and reviewing. I appreciate your support!_

 _Have a fun and safe week._

 _ruinedbyrob_


	15. Chapter 15

**Real world was kind of a dick this last week. I got my chapter done late, sent it to Sazzledazzled late and then it was late again to EdwardsFirstKiss. I could have posted it unbeta'd but you guys deserve better than that. So I waited and believe me you're better off for it. LOL!**

 **I owe my team so much for keeping me on track and fixing my mistakes. Love you guys!**

 **SM owns Twilight and I own an overweight Chow Chow puppy named Bella. I win!**

* * *

 **The Devil's Plan**

 **Chapter 15**

 _ **Doctor Know Best**_

"In your last session, we discussed the big party that you and Bella were planning. How did that go?" Dr. Tanner looked up from his notes, expecting to hear his patient happily reveal the events of the night. Instead, he received a somber reply.

"It was awful." Edward was not yet to the point that he felt entirely comfortable in Dr. Tanner's office, but he had accepted that speaking with the young doctor was helping him come to terms with what had happened. He'd begun to open up more and had divulged a little about his feelings for a certain brown-haired girl.

"What happened?" Dr. Tanner asked with real interest. His practice dealt almost exclusively with adolescents, and it was rare that a party didn't bring with it a degree of excitement from his patients. Edward's reply was worrisome.

Edward looked around the room, everywhere but at the blue jean clad doctor. It wasn't that he didn't want to tell the doctor, it was more that he didn't know _how_ to tell him.

"It started out fine but then everything fell apart." Edward's shoulders slumped as he fell back against the couch cushions. "I don't even know where to begin."

"Why don't we start from the beginning? What did you and Bella decide to wear?"

Despite the turmoil that was still swirling in his head and stomach over that night, Edward couldn't help but smile when he thought about how beautiful Bella looked. She was every inch the angel she was dressed as and the thoughts her appearance had provoked in him, were those of a bad boy.

"She was an angel." He said simply with a sigh.

"And you?"

Edward shrugged. "Um, black pants, black shirt…"

"Ah, the two of you represented good and evil. How did you feel about wearing the costume of a _bad boy?"_ Edward understood far too clearly why Dr. Tanner had asked that question.

"At first I didn't want to wear it. I didn't want her to look at me and be sees as _bad_. You know?"

"What do you want her to see?" Edward thought for a moment. For so long he felt all he was to anyone was bad. A bad son, bad brother, a home wrecker… He wasn't sure what he was yet, but he was beginning to believe that he wasn't a _terrible_ person.

"I don't want her to look at me and see the bad things I did. I just want her to see _me_." He stated simply.

Dr. Tanner smiled at Edward's revelation. Throughout their meetings, Edward had revealed a lot about his feelings for Bella. He rarely felt it was a good idea to use someone outside the patient's immediate family in their therapy, but in this case, he felt Bella's importance in Edward's life would only assist in his healing. "And I'm sure that's what she sees. Now, tell me what happened at the party."

Edward closed his eyes in thought. For the past three days, he'd been trying to figure out just what had happened. Bella had been absent from school since the party and was not answering her phone. All he was left to focus on was the unwelcomed presence of Jasper's friend and Bella's extreme reactions to everything.

"We played a stupid game and someone played a mean trick on Bella. She was really upset and then my dog decided to lose his mind and go into some kind of attack/guard mode whenever Lucian got close to Bella." The doctor's eyebrow rose at the sneer in Edward's voice at the mention of Lucian. A quick scan of his notes didn't reveal a mention of anyone named Lucian. Based on Edward's visceral reaction to the boy, he planned to ask who Lucian was when Edward began to speak rapidly.

"The night started out perfectly. Bella and mom did an amazing job with the decorations and food. Everything was perfect. People started showing up and everyone was having fun. We watched a couple of movies and then _they_ showed up." Again, Felix noted Edward's negative reaction. "Angela suggested we play a game, that's when everything went to hell and Bella began to cry. The game kept-."

"Wait. What kind of game would make Bella cry?"

"Have you ever heard of the game Ouija?"

"Is it a card game?"

"No. It's a game where you try to speak to, I don't know, I guess spirits."

"Do you mean a séance?"

Edward shrugged. "I guess. But there isn't a crystal ball or anything." Edward proceeded to explain the basic concepts of the game to Dr. Tanner.

"So, you read out the words it spells and you take it as the dead answering your questions?" Edward nodded, looking a bit embarrassed about taking part in something that sounded really dumb when you said it out loud. "Okay, what happened to upset Bella?"

"The thing started spelling out words that she said only her dead grandmother would know."

"And Bella believed it?" Dr. Tanner asked skeptically.

"She freaked out!" Edward exclaimed before rubbing his hand roughly over his neck, noting that he was beginning to sweat. He was still genuinely disturbed by what had happened and still hadn't come to grips with whether he believed Bella's grandmother had been talking to her from the grave. Both Carlisle and Esme had downplayed the supernatural aspect of the game and instead had suggested that one or more of the kids were playing a joke on Bella. Although he wasn't inclined to believe that they had been visited by Grandma Swan, Edward didn't want to believe that one of their classmates would be so cruel to her either. What was more disturbing was what had been said to Bella. Edward was still in the dark about what had happened to Bella's mother. Having his own secrets to hide, he hadn't felt right about asking Bella to reveal hers. However, it was clear that Bella was shocked to her very core when Grandma Swan or whoever had alluded that her mother was dead. Also, the warning about _Death_ being near made no sense to him. He'd begun to feel that particular revelation pointed strongly toward his parent's explanation of the whole thing being a horrible joke.

"Edward, how do you feel about what happened?"

Edward rolled his eyes. "How do you think I feel? I'm angry. I want to hurt whoever played that joke on her. I want to make them feel as scared as she was. I want, I want…" His fists clenched tightly in anger.

"You want to protect her."

"Yes." Edward agreed quickly. Already envisioning lots of different ways he could hurt the person/persons responsible.

"That's a normal reaction to watching someone you care about be hurt. You have very strong feelings for Bella. How do you feel about that?"

That night had started out so well. Bella looked beautiful, and he'd become overwhelmed with how much he wanted to be her boyfriend. He wanted the privilege of holding her hand, walking her home and kissing her lips. For that brief moment, when they'd embraced in the dimly lit hallway of his basement, Edward felt like every other seventeen-year-old boy does when he's in the presence of the girl that is rapidly becoming his world.

"I felt normal." Edward admitted his voice low with emotion.

"Can you expound on that?"

Edward knew what the good doctor wanted him to say. And for the first time since they'd started their meetings, he could truthfully give Dr. Tanner the answers he'd been waiting for, even if the truth was still hard to admit.

"I didn't feel as if I was going to make her dirty with my touch. I felt my soul lighten when she looked into my eyes and I swear my heart stopped for a second when we hugged." Edward lowered his eyes in embarrassment. He didn't want Dr. Tanner to see him get misty eyed.

"Edward, you have every right to feel that way. There's no reason for Bella or any other girl to think any differently about you. You're beginning to understand that now. That's progress."

Edward's gaze returns to the window. A typical Northern Washington, November day had materialized since his arrival. The day had turned overcast-grey and droplets of moisture were clinging to the windowpanes of Dr. Tanner's office. With a heavy sigh, he realized that he'd have to drive home in the rain.

"Ignoring me isn't going to change the fact that you're healing." Edward hated the slight smugness in his doctor's voice. He didn't want to admit Dr. Tanner was right. Because then he'd really have to deal with what had been done to him.

In the last month, he'd begun to feel anger start to bubble up when he thought about how Tanya had used him and what she'd deprived him of. He was also starting to resent how his father and brother had treated him. Where was their support? Where was their unconditional love? How would he be able to deal with the betrayal of his father and brother?

Dr. Tanner broke into his thoughts. "Edward, we're going to take this slowly. But you have to admit to yourself that you have changed."

"I know." Edward admitted quietly.

"Good." Dr. Tanner exclaimed happily, shutting his notebook with a slap. "I'm very happy with your progress. I'm sorry about what happened to your friend, and I understand that's still weighing on you, but you're moving forward and that's all I can ask of you. I think that's a good stopping place for this week unless you have something else."

Edward's eyes darted quickly around the room as he gathered his thoughts.

"Um, do you think I should tell Bella about, um, Tanya and everything?"

Dr. Tanner's eyes narrowed slightly as he pondered Edward's question. "Are you ready for her to know everything?"

Edward looked up and shook his head. "But I want her to be my girlfriend. I don't think it's fair to not tell her something about my past."

"I agree that you and Bella may be at a point in your relationship where it's prudent to begin discussing what happened. I think that you should only divulge what you feel comfortable with."

"Do you think she'll hate me?" He asked worriedly.

Dr. Tanner resisted the urge to groan out loud as the progress they'd just made seemed to slip away. "Edward, you did nothing wrong. You were the victim. Do you think Bella is the type of person to judge you for being a victim?"

"No, she's not." Dr. Tanner breathed a sigh of relief as Edward answered immediately.

"Then give her a chance, just be careful. It sounds as if she's gone through a lot last weekend. Sharing pieces of your past might make her feel more comfortable opening up to you about hers. Perhaps you'll be able to help each other heal?"

"That's my hope."

 **~~TDP~~**

"Are you sure you're ready?" Charlie's eyes narrowed in concern as he watched his daughter zip up her book bag.

"I'm okay." Bella tried to sound convincing so her father wouldn't worry. She wasn't one hundred percent, but Isabella Marie Swan, was a fighter, not a hider. Besides, Alice had already threatened to climb in her window to see her. Not to mention that Edward had been calling her for the last two days, inquiring about her welfare. Bella didn't return his calls because she hadn't felt ready to talk about everything but she realized that she wanted to see him.

"I don't know, maybe one more day?"

"I'm fine." She assured him before slinging her book bag over her shoulder and walking towards the back door. Bella paused with her hand on the knob and turned back towards Charlie. "Um, dad, will you please look for the book today?"

Upon hearing her request, Charlie's lips pursed tightly and his eyes narrowed. He'd been hoping she would forget about the book. He should have realized that his daughter didn't give up easily. He also understood that she inherited that trait from him. Sighing heavily, he nodded. "I'll look for it. But you have to promise me-"

"I know, I know. I won't get crazy like mom did." Bella promised with a wave as she walked out the door.

"I pray you can keep that promise." Charlie whispered to the empty room.

 **~~TDP~~**

Bella made it all the way to the school parking lot before allowing her emotions to break through the façade she'd shown her father. As her classmates milled around the parking lot, joking and laughing on their way to the old brick building, Bella Swan sat alone in her car wiping away the tears that rolled down her flushed cheeks. After her talk with Charlie, Sunday morning, exhaustion had caught up with her. A nap turned into a deep slumber that she hadn't awakened from until Monday afternoon. They'd shared a quiet meal of macaroni and cheese, one of the three meals that her father knew how to cook, in their small kitchen as the sun slowly set on the day. Charlie hadn't made an issue of Bella missing class. In fact, it was his idea for her to take another day off. They'd both gone through an emotional event. He wasn't immune to the effects that event had taken on his body and was keenly aware of how his daughter had been affected. Bella knew her father was worried about her. And in an effort to relieve him of some of the guilt he harbored, she had put on a happy face and trundled off to school Wednesday morning. Now, alone in her car, she allowed her happy face to fall as her classmates questioning glances penetrated the thick windshield of her car.

"Bella, are you okay?" Bella's head shot up at the sound of Edward's voice. She hastily wiped her face and turned towards the window.

"Hi," she said shyly not knowing how to convey to him what she needed at that moment. Her world was breaking into pieces that made no sense and she needed someone to help keep her composed as she attempted to put things back together.

Edward looked into her desperate eyes. Understanding what he was seeing, he wasted no words and quickly enveloped her into a tight hug. It took everything Bella had in her to not give up and melt into his arms as she gratefully accepted his comfort. They stood tightly embraced for several minutes. Their classmates' stares went unnoticed by the two teens.

They broke apart when the first tardy bell rang out. Edward took Bella's bag from her and slung it over his shoulder to lay with his. He took her right hand and together they silently made their way into the building.

Edward skillfully steered them through the crowded hallway, not stopping until they reached Bella's locker.

"Here's your bag. I'll see you at lunch." He handed her the book bag and gently kissed her forehead before turning to run up the stairs to his first period class. Bella stood in mute confusion as she watched him go. He hadn't asked her how she was, where she'd been for the last two days or why she'd broken down at the party. He'd simply taken her hand and guided her into school with a silent strength that made her feel cherished and protected. With one kiss, the boy who she thought she was saving had saved her. With one action, he had wordlessly conveyed that he was there for her. In spite of the weight she felt on her shoulders, a small smile graced her face. As she hastily threw her bag in her locker, grabbing the books she needed to get through the morning, Bella felt a renewed sense of strength rush through her body.

"Why didn't you call me?" Alice asked almost as soon as Bella sat down at the lunch table.

Bella shrugged, taking out her peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Another of the three dishes her father could master. "Honestly, I just didn't want to talk about it."

Not to be put off so easily, Alice eyed her best friend warily. "B, what happened last Saturday night was some serious stuff. Don't you think we should talk about it?"

Alice was probably one of the few people who understood how deeply her mother's disappearance had affected Bella, and how much energy she put in to no allowing it to rule her life. Alice was also keenly aware of just how badly those words from Saturday night, cruel prank or not, had affected her. As such, Bella's best friend was probably the person that she should discuss things with. However, she couldn't stop thinking that it was Edward who she wanted to speak with first.

"We will, I just need some time to figure things out." Alice reluctantly accepted her explanation. She didn't fully understand why Bella would suddenly need to figure something out without her input. That wasn't the usual way they handled things.

"So, where is Jasper?" Bella asked, quickly changing the subject. Alice's face paled slightly at her question.

"Um, I don't know. I haven't seen him since Saturday." Bella almost dropped her sandwich at Alice's confession.

Bella was instantly concerned. "He hasn't been to class? What happened?"

Alice's big blue eyes lowered to her lap. "I guess he's mad at me because I wouldn't leave the party with him." Bella suddenly remembered that Jasper and his friend, Lucian had left Cullen's house during her breakdown.

"I'm so sorry." Bella apologized quickly, laying a comforting hand on Alice's arm.

"No. Don't be sorry. You needed me. He should have respected that, but he was too far up Lucian's ass to act like a proper boyfriend. Besides, maybe you were right. We were moving pretty fast." Bella's mouth dropped open in surprise. She was no fan of the weird blond boy, but Alice's total change in direction was astounding and completely unexpected.

"Have you broken up?" Bella asked in a hushed voice.

Alice's shoulders slumped and she began to tap her fingers on the cracked table top. "I don't know. I hope not." She added quietly. "He hasn't called me since the party. Honestly, the longer we're apart the more worried I get. I don't want to lose him." Tears threatened to spill from her glossy eyes.

As much as Bella didn't like Jasper, she hated seeing Alice so upset. "I'm still sorry. But I can't thank you enough for being there when I needed you."

Alice snuffed back her tears and leaned over to hug her friend. "I love you Bella. I don't know why it feels like I forgot just how much."

Before Bella could form words to return her feelings, Alice pulled away and nodded towards the entrance of the cafeteria where Edward had appeared.

"It appears as if someone is looking for you." Bella couldn't contain her smile as Edward saw them and began walking to their table.

"Hi Alice," Edward called out, with a head nod before sitting down next to Bella.

"Hi." He whispered, quickly taking her hand in his.

"Hey." She answered quietly keenly aware of the blush that was rapidly covering her body, starting where their hands touched.

"So, what do you think about that history assignment that Mrs. Hollenbach handed out this morning?" Edward asked to the table as he one-handedly began to unpack his lunch.

"I don't know, haven't we learned all we need too about WWII?" Alice asked as she absently began picking at her salad.

"I think there's still a lot to still learn. I mean, we certainly don't want history repeating itself." Edward added, his mouth full of turkey sandwich.

"You guys talking about the history assignment?" Ben inquired as he and Angela took their seats at the table.

"I think it's interesting. I mean, we all know what an undeniable bastard Hitler was but I had no idea he was into the occult as well as a drug addict."

Bella sat in silent amazement as her friends took the opportunity to discuss their new history module rather than grill her about what had happened Saturday night or where she'd been the last two days. She suddenly realized that she'd been almost holding her breath waiting for the questions to start. Those who were at the party had been shooting her glances all morning that were half consoling and half fearful. For the most part she'd been able to ignore them. Angela had been her best defense as the girl had pretty much accused most of the party goers of being the one who had moved the game piece around and had all but threatened them with retribution from Charlie. They'd all denied it of course but then, as teens are known to do, they turned on each other and began to accuse one another of being the perpetrator. Angela's threats were especially effective as no one wanted to be the one who voiced their belief that they'd been visited by a ghost. T hinking that one of their friends was a cold-hearted asshole was more acceptable to the teen brain than believing in the _Boogeyman_.

"Hey, are you going to eat those chips?" Ben asked hopefully with his right hand extended toward Bella's untouched bag of Cheddar Cheese Ruffles.

"No, they don't really go with my chunky peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwich." Bella joked before pushing the bag over to an appreciative Ben.

"Thanks B! With a wink before unceremoniously ripping open the bag, the lunch table returned to their previous conversation, continuing to ignore the pink elephant in the room.

Lunch ended without Edward letting go of Bella's hand and continued to do so all the way to biology class; a development that was not unnoticed by the meandering students passing them in the hallway.

They took their seats and got their books out only to release each other when Mr. Banner walked in to start class.

"Would you would like to come over to my house?" Edward asked as Bella was putting away her books after her last class.

Bella turned to look at him. He was smiling down at her but his eyes weren't quite reflecting what his mouth was trying to portray. Bella wondered at the bit of sadness reflected in his green eyes. He'd been so kind to her all day and she hated to tell him no, but she wasn't sure if she was ready to return to the Cullen's house. However, if it was important to him, she'd do it.

"Okay." Relief flooded Edward's face.

"Good. I'll meet you there." He promised, planting another kiss on her forehead before turning and rushing off down hallway. Bella stood in a perplexed daze as she watched him go.

"Don't look so confused, everyone can see that he has serious feelings for you." Bella glanced over to see Angela leaning against the locker next to hers.

"Yeah?"

"Definitely. If the way he acted Saturday night didn't clue you in then today should have. He barely left your side. "Angela quickly looked around the hallway, surveying the traffic. Seemingly satisfied that no one would over hear, she spoke again. "Hey, I know we're not as close as you and Alice are, but if you want to talk about what happened, I'm here."

"Thank you. I just…" Bella paused, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "I don't know what I want. I spoke to my dad and things got even more confusing. Alice wants to talk about it but I'm not sure if she can be totally objective." Bella was still wary of opening up to Alice because of her involvement with Jasper. She felt a slight twinge of guilt admitted that fact.

"I get that." Angela nodded thoughtfully. "I can totally be objective." She promised.

"Edward wants to talk this afternoon." Bella said, deciding that she would take Angela up on her offer.

"About Saturday night?"

Bella shrugged. "I guess."

"Are you ready for that?"

"I don't know." Bella said honestly.

* * *

 **Not a lot of movement in this chapter but in order to go forward the way I want, this chapter needed to happen.**

 **I'm a HUGE WWII nut and that stuff about Hitler is true. The History Channel is one of my favorite channels and I routinely binge watch WWII shows while I write.**

 **Please consider leaving a review. Even if it's just two or three words, your acknowledgement means the world to me!**

 **Until next time, have fun and stay safe!**

 **ruinedbyrob**


	16. Chapter 16

Thank you for all of the amazing reviews for the last chapter. I really appreciate your support.

Huge thanks to Sazzledazzled and EdwardsFirstKiss. I was spinning my wheels on this chapter and they stepped in with a tow rope and tugged me out of the mud. I did a little tinkering after EdwardsFirstKiss did her Beta magic. All mistakes are mine.

2brown-eyes made the banner for TDP and I can't thank her enough for contributing to my story.

 **Disclaimer:** SM owns the Twilight world. I'm eternally grateful she decided to share it with all of us.

* * *

 **The Devil's Plan**

 **Chapter 16**

 _ **Confessions and Promises**_

"Mom, I invited Bella over."

"How is that sweet girl?" Esme put down the laundry basket she was carrying and fixed her son with a worried look. It has taken every bit of Esme's willpower to not invade the Swan house to see if Bella was recovering from the shock of the party.

Edward shrugged sadly. "She was crying in her car when I found her this morning." His heart had broken when he saw her sobbing in the parking lot. The speech he'd prepared to give her listing all of his good points in the hopes that she would allow him to be her boyfriend was long forgotten when he'd seen her. Instead, all he could think about was taking her in his arms and soothing her.

Esme gasped and pressed her hand to her heart, obviously feeling empathy for Bella's pain. "I should bake some cookies before she gets here? Or would she rather have a sandwich? " Edward watched his mother begin to busy herself with baking preparations.

"Mom, wait." Frowning, Esme put down the mixing bowl and turned towards her son. "You don't need to go to that kind of trouble. In fact, I think Bella would prefer it if you didn't go to any trouble at all." Edward walked over to the cupboard and pulled out a bag of iced animal crackers. He didn't know if Bella was particularly fond of this type of cookie, but then he didn't know anyone who didn't like them. "These will be fine."

"Can I at least make some lemonade?" Edward had to chuckle at the half pout his mother had plastered on her face. "I think that would be fine."

As Esme busied herself in the kitchen, preparing for her arrival, Bella was sitting in her car surveying the Cullen house with growing anxiety.

Unlike the rest of Forks, Bella was convinced that Grandma Swan had spoken to her in that basement. The very basement that resided in the house that sat before her. The rational part of her brain reminded her that it was also the house where up until three days ago, had felt like a second home to her and where Esme Cullen treated her like a daughter. Bella felt the beginnings of a fresh batch of tears begin to form as the thought of her mother returned to her mind. She hastily wiped them away and got out of her car. There was still so much she didn't understand about what had happened with her mother and now she had so many questions about her family history swirling around in her head it made her dizzy.

Bella squared her shoulders, took a deep breath and knocked on the Cullen's front door. Her hand was barely off the door before it was wrenched open, revealing both a smiling Esme and Edward.

"Hi." Bella uttered with a sincere smile only seconds before she was engulfed in Esme's arms.

"Bella, I'm so happy to see you." Bella could feel a lot of the tension in her shoulders and neck dissolve in Esme's embrace. Too soon, Esme pulled back but didn't let her go completely. "I'm always here for you. If you ever need to talk…Anything." She promised, squeezing Bella's hand.

"Thank you." Bella whispered around the lump in her throat.

"Come in sweetie. I've got fresh lemonade in the kitchen."

Bella waved at Edward as his mother led her into the kitchen where as promised, there sat a pitcher of lemonade amidst plates of cut up apples, orange slices, celery sticks, individual cups of peanut butter, caramel dip and Nutella. Bella eyed the spread and glanced at Edward.

He shrugged. "Don't look at me. I told her not to go to any trouble."

"I didn't." His mother protested as she let go of Bella's hand to place a bowl on the table. "Look, Edward picked these."

"Iced animal crackers? Those are my favorite." Bella reached out and grabbed a lion out of the bowl and unceremoniously popping it into her mouth, relishing the taste of the cinnamon and sweet icing.

Edward loved watching Bella enjoy herself and hated that he might ruin things with what he was going to say. "Um, do you want to take our snacks and go into the sunroom?" Normally he would have suggested the family room in the basement, but thought better of it. With Bella in agreement, they moved into the glass enclosed room.

Esme had attempted to decorate the room as cheerfully as possible considering that calling any room in Forks a sunroom was widely inaccurate when it reflected grey on all sides ninety-percent of the time. Bright colored fabrics and lush green plants worked together bringing a sense of 'sunniness' to the room. Her hard work was much appreciated as Bella felt her mood lighten just walking into the cheery room.

With their glasses of lemonade and assorted snacks placed within easy reach, Edward began to reveal why he'd invited Bella over.

"Um, you're probably wondering why I wanted you to come over today."

Bella sighed and nodded her head. "Yeah." All of his actions today made her curious.

"You're probably also wondering about the hand holding and stuff too?" Bella lowered her eyes and bit her lip shyly as the memory of the forehead kisses replayed in her head. "Well, the thing is, I, um, I probably should have asked you if all of that was okay, but I guess my instincts just took over and well… It was wrong of me to do that, I took advantage of you. I forced my intentions on you. You were sad and I-"

"Stop! You didn't take advantage of me." Edward looked away, his face twisted in frustration. Bella was taken aback at why he would choose those words. She quickly leaned over and placed her hand on his. "Why would you say that? You were perfect. Edward, I felt protected and well, I really liked the kissing and hand holding." Suddenly a terrible thought flashed into her head. "Do _you_ regret it?" Edward's head was still turned away; she was unable to read his expression.

"No!" Was his immediate and emphatic reply. "But it was wrong of me to assume-"

Bella couldn't take it any longer. Every bit of the past month's sexual tension and the frustrations over the last couple of days burst through her protective covering as she launched herself at him, capturing his lips in a forceful kiss.

Edward was caught off guard, but hesitated for only a moment before returning her kiss. Their kiss was hurried, off kilter and slightly frantic but neither thought it was anything but perfect.

Too soon, Bella pulled away. Her eyes shifted downward to her lap as her lips curled into a small smile.

"Wow!" Edward breathed out. "That was-"

"-A long time coming." Bella finished with a grin.

"Yeah, I guess it was." He understood what she meant. Their relationship should have been at this point weeks ago. "If it's any consolation, I've wanted to do that for weeks."

"Really?" He nodded as her eyes narrowed slightly. "Then why haven't you? I've been practically throwing myself at you. Why would you wait until I'm a basket case to show your feelings?" She asked referring to the obvious displays of affection that he had no problem with at school. "Are you one of those damsels in distress guys who only want a girl who needs constant protection? Because while I appreciate the support, I'm not that girl." At least she didn't intend to be that girl. Admittedly the last couple of days had painted a different picture.

"What? No!" Edward shouted as Bella eyed him warily. He knew it was time to come clean. "The reason we left Seattle was because of me. Something I did, something horrible." Edward lowered his head and began fidgeting with his hands. Since leaving Dr. Tanner's office that day before, he'd been psyching himself up to tell his story, and now when it was time. He found his fears of Bella's rejection were foremost in his mind, taking the place of the tremendous guilt he was used to feeling. Bella shifted in her seat and calmed his fidgeting hand.

"Edward, there's no way I would ever think you could do something horrible." She promised.

"You don't know! And when I tell you, you're going to never speak to me again!" He pulled his hand away from her, jumping from his seat and rushing to stand by the closest window. He couldn't bear to look at her face when she learned the truth.

He heard Bella sigh loudly behind him.

"Edward, just tell me. I promise to listen and not judge." He wanted so much to believe her.

"There was this girl, no, a _woman_ in Seattle."

"A girlfriend?" Edward chuckled grimly at her question. Six months ago he would have called Tanya his girlfriend but not now. Their relationship didn't fit that description and was nothing like the one he still hoped to have with Bella.

"No. Tanya was definitely _not my girlfriend_. I was more like her toy, but I was much too stupid to realize that until recently. She was so beautiful and paid attention to me. Girls had never paid attention to me before her."

Bella's incredulousness echoed in the glass room causing Edward to turn at look at her. His eyes were unusually dark. Bella was surprised at the anger in his expression. Did he seriously not understand how beautiful he was?

"Edward, you're gorgeous." He shook his head at her lie. "Stop that!" She ordered, before getting up from the settee to stand beside him. "I've never lied to you and I'm not going to start now. You are the handsomest, kindest, most respectful man I've ever met in my life and I'm not the only one who thinks you're attractive. Practically every female in school is after you. How can you not know that?"

"Because it's never happened before!" He answered honestly. He didn't know if what she was saying was true, but he wasn't lying either. And to be honest, it didn't really matter. There was no one before Tanya.

"Tanya was the first woman to look at me as someone other than Esme and Carlisle's awkward son or Emmett's little brother." Bella noticed again that he used the term woman instead of girl. A ball of worry began to form in the pit of her stomach.

"Edward what did that _woman_ do to you?"

" _Everything_. And I let her. I wanted it." Edward's shoulders sagged when he heard her gasp from behind him.

"Did she, did she assault you?" The thought of something so utterly heinous happening to Edward made her blood run cold.

"No. At least not in the way you're thinking." Bella wished his words did more to dismiss her uneasiness. He didn't completely deny that he was assaulted in some way.

"Then what? What happened? You're speaking in riddles and in all honesty I have my own riddles to solve, I don't want-"

" **I fucked a married woman!"**

Edward's admission hung in the air like a parachute falling in slow motion. Bella could see it tumbling down with its billowy arms reaching towards her and she knew that once it got close enough to touch her, she'd be helpless to its impact. Yet, there she remained in its way, waiting for contact.

The young man across the room, with his forehead pressed forlornly against the cold window pane, was also waiting. He was waiting to hear the sounds of her retreating footsteps as she made her escape or the words of disappointment for his actions and her regret for having given him her friendship.

Silence filled the room as Bella processed what he'd said and what it meant for their relationship. She looked across the room to the where he was propped up against the window. His demeanor indicated to her that whatever he was about to tell her was causing him a tremendous amount of pain. He looked like a soul that had been deeply hurt and was not healed, and his willingness to share this part of his past with her had to mean that he wanted her to know the darkness he carried within him. She hoped, it meant that she was his future. Gathering her strength, and pushing back all of her own worries and hurt, she got up and walked over to him.

"Edward, tell me." She encouraged quietly placing a hand on his back, hating that he shuddered under her touch.

"I can't tell you everything. Not yet anyway." He added quietly. Edward knew that what he was going to tell her would be enough to make her flee. There was no reason to go into the worst of his crimes if she were already going to run. If by the grace of God, she stayed. He would confess the worst of it later.

"I'm afraid that when you know all of it you'll never look at me the same way again." He stammered, pulling slightly away from her touch.

"Edward, nothing you can say will change how I feel about you. Just tell me whatever you feel comfortable with. I won't judge." Bella persisted.

Slowly, he turned to look at her. He heard the sincerity in her voice but needed to see it in her eyes. Bella nearly lost her composure when she saw the full effect of his pain on his beautiful face.

"Do you promise?" He asked, knowing that he sounded childish, but needing her answer.

"I promise." His plea made her stomach drop. But she gave her promise anyway, hoping that she would be able to keep it.

Edward swallowed loudly and nodded, accepting her oath. "Um, can we sit back down?" Bella agreed and sat down on the settee, expecting him take the seat next to her. She tried to hide her disappointment when he sat across from her instead.

Edward noticed her frustration. "I'm sorry. I just think that it will be easier for me if I have a little distance."

"Okay. Whatever you need." Bella offered with a small smile.

Edward took a deep breath trying to gather his strength. With his eyes on the floor, he began. "Her name was Tanya Volturi, and she was the wife of my father's boss. She was my mother's friend and the mother of Alec, Emmett's best friend since childhood." Once again, he paused for her gasp and accompanying steps of retreat. He took a chance and looked at her. She was looking off into the distance, her face impassive. "I think it might be easier if you ask questions." Edward sighed in relief when she turned to face him and nodded her agreement.

"How old was she?"

"She was thirty-nine when we, um started." Bella's eyes darted to his in surprise.

"What do you mean when you 'started'?"

"Our affair lasted a year."

Bella did the calculations in her head. She knew that he had turned seventeen last June which meant he was at least sixteen when it started. That _woman_ was twenty-three years older than him!

"Was it consensual?" Bella's hands clenched tightly. She knew that the age of consent in Washington State was sixteen, but that fact didn't stop her from feeling that he'd been taken advantage of by the older woman.

"I already told you it was." He stated with a calmness that his rapid heartbeat and shaking hands denied.

"Why?" Edward's head shot up at her unexpected question.

He shrugged. "Because she wanted me." Bella shook her head at his too simple answer.

"Edward, almost every girl in our school has a crush on you." It was hard enough knowing most of the female population also dreamt about him at night. But the thought that he slept with any woman that wanted him- that was almost unthinkable.

"I don't know what you think, but before I came here, before you, there was no one that even gave me a second look. Except for _her_."

"I have a hard time believing…" She stopped talking when he got up and walked over to a low cabinet. He leaned down and pulled out a large book. Edward turned and handed it to her. The book was a photo album. Bella rubbed her hand over the engraved cover that read, _Edward Anthony Cullen_ in raised lettering.

"Look at it." He ordered, sharply.

Bella met his eyes briefly before opening the book expecting to see bronze-haired, green-eyed chubby baby pictures. What she found was a lanky, bespectacled teen Edward with braces and a fairly serious case of acne who didn't smile for the camera. She figured that he expected to see her pull back in horror. But all she could see was the beautiful boy that had been her rock all day at school. She flipped through the pages, pictures of Edward in various situations; birthdays, holiday gatherings, Edward at the pool, on a golf course. "You play golf?" The last several pages showed Edward in different golf poses and accepting awards with golf clubs on them.

"I used to." He answered with a frown.

"It looks like you were really good."

"Yeah, I was."

"Why did you stop?" Bella asked.

"Forks doesn't have a golf team." He admitted quietly with downcast eyes.

Bella nodded thoughtfully at his meaning. The move to Forks took away his chances to play. She let it drop and kept looking at the book. The next pages revealed Edward sitting on a dais behind a baby grand piano.

"You play the piano too?"

"Yes." He said solemnly.

"What's your favorite kind of music to play?" She'd always wanted to learn but had never been able to talk Charlie into shelling out the money for lessons _and_ a piano.

"I prefer classical."

"Why haven't I heard you play?"

"I haven't really had much reason to play. Bella, is that all that you're noticing? Don't you see the way I look?" His exasperated tone disturbed Bella.

"What do you want me to see?" She pleaded.

"Look at me!" He demanded. "I was gangly, shy, acne ridden…I certainly wasn't anyone's crush!"

Bella was taken aback at his shouted statement. "Edward, I don't see what you see. All I see is a talented young man who didn't smile much. I don't understand what this has to do with _that_ relationship."

Edward hung his head and rubbed the back of his neck in obvious frustration before abruptly leaving his chair to stand in front of her.

"You wanted to know why I let her _in_? She made _me_ feel good. She made _me_ feel smart, talented, wanted and sexy. Tanya didn't think of me as a kid. When I spoke, she listened and never spoke down to me. She asked my opinions on current events, art and we discussed my music. She encouraged me to start wearing contacts, see a dermatologist and to start working out. For the first time, I didn't feel ignored or invisible. I finally meant something to someone!" Bella recoiled at his statement.

"Edward, how can you say that? You have a family that loves you. Look at all the pictures they took of just these accomplishments."

"Do you see my family in those pictures?" Bella shook her head and began leafing through the book again. "No, you don't. Do you want to know why?" He asked, not waiting for her answer before continuing. "They were too busy. Our housekeeper took most of those pictures. Dad was at the hospital, mom at her business and social events and Emmett at his football games and hanging out with his friends. None of them could spare a moment for me."

"Edward, I understand that you may feel that way but your family loves you. It just sounds as if they were very busy leading their own lives. I think you might be making more of their absence-"

"Stop! Don't defend them!" He ordered defensively. "Do you have _any idea_ what it's like to know that people who are supposed to love and support you would rather be anywhere **but with you**?!" Bella blanched at his statement. He couldn't know those words had been her entire existence since her mother disappeared.

"Actually, I know exactly how that feels." Her confession slipped out in a barely audible whisper.

Edward stopped his pacing. "What?" He asked, confused by her whispered admission.

"Nothing. Never mind." Now wasn't the time to get into her history. "Edward, it sounds as if there is more to this story. Are you blaming your family for the affair?"

Edward's eyes blazed at her question. "Is that what you think I'm doing? I don't blame them but they sure as hell blame me!" Bella opened her mouth to speak but stopped when Edward began to ramble.

"How can you stand to be in the same room with me?! I broke up a marriage. I ruined _two_ families and allowed my own ch-." He abruptly stopped the rest of his sentence and turned towards Bella. His eyes glistened with tears and his fists were balled up so tightly, his knuckles were dabs of white against the redness of his hands. She'd wanted to ask what he was keeping from her, but her heart broke at his appearance. Bella's questions were pushed back into the recesses of her mind. Her only concern was the tears streaming down his flushed face.

Edward fell to his knees, taking her hand. "I'm a terrible person, I don't deserve you but I'm trying really hard to make up for what I've done and I don't think I can do it without you. I don't _want_ to do it without you." He added earnestly.

Bella didn't bother to wipe at her own tears before putting a hand in his soft hair and pulling him close.

"Edward, you've got me. I promise."

* * *

 **So, we got a little of Edward's background in this one. There's more but you'll have to check back for the rest. *wink, wink***

 **Jasper and Rosalie will be back in the next chapter. So all you J and R lovers out there…HAHAHA! I crack myself up. There are no J &R fans! But seriously, they'll be back.**

 **Until next time, have fun and be safe.**

 **ruinedbyrob.**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N:** My apologies for the lateness of this chapter. Unfortunately, RL has once again sucked up all of my free time. To make a long story short. I'm preparing to move my family's business from a building we've been in for forty years into smaller offices while trying to keep the whole thing running. Throw in staffing changes, day to day crap and you get about 20 minutes a day to yourself. I've been writing as much as possible and will continue to do so. I'm asking you to stick with me, as soon as this move is over my writing will be back on schedule.

To my team, Sazzledazzled, and Edwardsfirstkiss thank you so much for hanging with me. You've all got busy lives and you still spend what little free time you have helping me. I appreciate it so much.

My banner maker is 2brown-eyes. She writes and makes banners.

So much talent in this fandom!

* * *

 **The Devil's Plan**

Chapter 17

 _ **Plans in Motion**_

As the rain continued to pelt the windows of Esme's sun room, the two occupants were locked in a silent embrace. Bella was afraid to move lest Edward mistake her movement for rejection and Edward simply didn't want to let go. But soon even the joints of a young man needs relief from cramped and tight positions. Edward reluctantly moved away and straightened his legs out in front of him, he however didn't let go of her hand. Bella shifted as well, allowing her extremities to regain blood flow. Neither Bella nor Edward spoke. The sound of the steady rain acted as a soothing lullaby to both of them. Edward could feel the stress slowly recede as his eyelids began to feel heavy. Bella had almost succumbed to the calming hum of the storm when Esme called her name. Both teens slowly shook themselves from their stress induced exhaustion.

Bella watched as Edward began to stretch out his cramped arms and legs. The events of the afternoon were still raw in her memory, yet she couldn't help herself from appreciating his form. Her eyes followed his long-toned arms as they reached above his head, pulling his blue tee shirt tight across his chest. When he pushed himself up from the floor at her feet to stand, she was riveted to the sight of his muscular thighs stretching as he bent at the waist. He either didn't notice her quiet examination or didn't care. He didn't say a word to her as he turned and held out his hand. She pretended not to see the fear in his eyes. Even though she had given him her word, he still feared that his confession would send her running. Bella, quickly put her hand in his and allowed herself to be pulled up from her seat.

Edward dipped his head and looked at her up through his dark lashes. "Thank you," he said softly, taking both of her hands and tugging her closer until their foreheads touched. "for listening, for understanding and for not running away."

"I'll always listen and I'm not going anywhere. Even when you _decide_ to tell me the rest of the story." Edward took a deep breath nodding slowly in understanding. He knew he'd have to tell her the rest. Eventually.

"Bella, Edward!" Both teens looked up as Esme appeared in the doorway. "Hey," she said cheerfully, not missing that her son and Bella were holding hands. "I was wondering if everything was okay in here." Esme tried really hard not to sound giddy at the sight of them together. She tried, but wasn't quite able to pull it off.

"Hey mom-"

"We're good." Bella interrupted, squeezing Edward's hand and smiling as he lowered his head and grinned.

Hand in hand, Edward and Bella walked through the house and outside to where Bella's car was waiting. "So,um,today was a little intense." Bella couldn't dispute his statement. What she'd learned today sickened her. Knowing that Edward had been abused, used and that he blamed _himself_ for everything that had happened, would haunt her tonight and for many nights to come.

Bella chuckled darkly. "Intense seems to be kind of our thing. Edward, what you told me, it's disturbing to say the least but it doesn't change how I feel about you. I hope you believe that."

"I'm beginning to." Edward leaned down and kissed her deeply. The kiss they'd shared earlier was beautiful but had nothing on this one. She had initiated their first kiss, but this one was all Edward. His hands came up to cup her cheeks, holding her in place for his lips as the took command. Bella was overwhelmed, not only from the force but also from the expertise of the kiss. She gripped his elbows trying to stay upright under his delicious touch. Just as she felt her toes begin to curl, Edward pulled back, ending the kiss. Bella was disappointed at his departure but was relieved to hear him breathing just as heavily as she was. Proof he'd been just as affected as she was.

"Bella, I wish I knew the words to tell you how much you mean to me-" Bella stopped him with two fingers to his lips.

"Shhh, you don't have to say it, I feel the same way."

"I'm glad." He sighed quietly. "I don't know exactly how to do this, but I would like us to officially together. You know like boyfriend and girlfriend." He added quickly when her eyes widened in surprise. Between Edward's admission, her questions about her mother and now the prospect of calling Edward her boyfriend, Bella didn't know if her heart could take much more. _Boyfriend._ The word sounded so good in her head as she imagined all the things she could do with her _boyfriend_. They could hold hands at the movies, go to concerts, have picnics in the park, take long drives in the rain and kiss. There had to be more kissing.

"Bella, is that okay?"

"Huh?" She brilliantly asked. It appeared that her ability to understand a question and formulate a comprehensive answer had given way to the fantasy part of her brain.

"Is it okay if we're like, a real couple?" Edward breathed a sigh of relief as her head bobbed in an enthusiastic motion. "Oh, good for a minute there I was afraid…" His statement trailed off as his mouth was suddenly engaged in a much more pleasing activity.

Bella had no idea when she'd become so brazen, but as Edward's soft lips wrapped themselves around her's she was fairly certain that she didn't care. She was equally as certain that Edward didn't either.

 **~~TDP~~**

"Something smells good." Charlie took an exaggerated sniff from the kitchen doorway. The smell of Bella's special fried chicken filled the air. Further investigation revealed that she'd also made loaded mashed potatoes and garlic green beans. Proof positive to Charlie that his daughter was serious about something. She only served this meal when she wanted to butter him up. Of course, he hadn't needed the aroma of the fried onion encrusted chicken breasts to tell him that. He'd found Renee's bible. There was no getting away from allowing Bella to read it. At least he'd get a wonderful meal before having to deal with whatever was to come from looking at it.

"Hey, dad. It'll be ready in fifteen minutes." Bella assured him, waving the oven mitts from her place at the stove.

Charlie trudged upstairs and removed his uniform, replacing it with a comfortable pair of jeans and his favorite Mariners jersey. He scowled at the large leather bound book resting on his dresser, snatching it from its resting place in anger. He hated that damn thing. Hated it for any part it may have played in his wife's disappearance and for what he was afraid it might have in store for his only child.

"As always, this is wonderful." Charlie praised, around a large bite of chicken.

"Thanks dad." Bella made the meal in part because she knew it was his favorite, but also because she'd needed the diversion from her afternoon with Edward. Driving home from his house had been difficult. Half of her Edward loving cells in her body wanted her to turn the car onto the 101 North, drive the three and a half hours to Seattle, find that child abusing woman and _fux_ her up. The other half wanted to continue pressing him up against her car. Instead, she turned on Sycamore Drive, came home and fixed a Sunday night dinner on a Wednesday.

They finished dinner with little additional conversation. Her mind was on Edward and Charlie's was on the book he'd placed in his study.

"Did you do alright at school today?" Charlie decided to go ahead and get things started.

"Yes."

"Really?" He asked again with a raised eyebrow. His moustache twitched at her answer.

The _stache_ knew a lie when it heard one.

Bella slumped in her seat and looked down at her hands. She knew she'd been caught. "It was rough in the beginning but Edward, Alice and Angela made it better."

"Did anyone say anything to you?" As a father and Forks Chief of Police, he had no tolerance for bullying.

"No. Everyone avoided the topic."

"Then why the long face now?"

Bella looked up in surprise. She hadn't realized that her distress over Edward's story was shining so brightly on her face.

"Um, I-"

"You're thinking about that damn book aren't you?" Bella nodded in relief. She and Charlie didn't lie to each other, but she couldn't tell him about Edward, so a lie had been forming like a malignant tumor on the tip of her tongue. "Well, I can't say that I'm happy about it, but I can't very well keep it from you either." He pushed away from the table and left the room only to return with the thick book. "Here, it's your history. Just promise me you won't go flying off the handle over something you find." Bella nodded and grabbed for the book only to have Charlie hold it out of her reach. "No. I mean it. After what happened at the Cullen's-" He paused, and appeared to gather his thoughts before continuing. "I can't lose you Bella. One of your traits I love the most, is your ability to wade through bullpucky and come out on the side of common sense. But after the state you were in when I picked you up last Saturday night, honey, you were not someone I recognized. That girl was rattled to the point that she was believing in ghosts." Bella opened her mouth to once again vigorously argue her belief that Grandma Swan was there, when Charlie stopped her. "Bella, I raised you to be a smart, independent young woman who can tell the difference between fantasy and reality. Last week your grasp on reality was tenuous at best. You've been through a lot and I'm not going to say any more about it except, to caution you against jumping to any conclusions as you read this damn thing. And if you come across something that sends you spinning, I want you to promise that you'll come to me before you do anything. If something merits further investigation, we'll do it together. Understood?" Bella couldn't help but smile at her father. She didn't know what she would find, but it was heartening to know that her father would be there if she needed him.

"Dad," she said, placing her hand lovingly over his. "I don't even know what I'm looking for, but if I find something that looks wonky, I'll talk to you." Charlie wasn't sure her idea of wonky was the same as his, but he trusted her.

With a heavy sigh, he nodded and handed over the book.

Bella was not indifferent to the fact that her interest in the book was difficult for him. Instead of grabbing the book and greedily devouring its contents, she pushed it aside and got up from the table to face him. "Hey, why don't I clean up in here, grab my homework and come into the den with you?" Charlie's eyes lightened at her suggestion.

"I'm sure there's a football game on somewhere." He offered.

"That sounds great." Charlie smiled, visibly relieved with her decision and headed off to consult the sports channels.

Bella watched him go before glancing back at the ominous looking tome. She didn't know what she would find, if anything, inside those leather covers. But with her emotions already on level 11 after her afternoon with Edward, and the look of almost fear on her father's face when he handed over the book, she decided that whatever was inside could wait. For now.

 **~~TDP~~**

"How soon until we will be allowed to return?"

"You know it's not up to me."

"This is maddening! I did nothing to deserve this punishment!"

"And I did?!"

"It must be you. I fulfilled my duties!"

"So did I!"

"Evidently not! You didn't find any secret spilling spirit throwing _my_ mark into a tailspin"

"Listen, you bitter child I…" An angry bellow rang out through the cavern like structure halting his speech. Both Ba'al and Astarte stood frozen as their names were called. They'd been summoned to the throne room. Their argument was forgotten as fear took hold instead. Straightening his shoulders and taking a deep breath, Ba'al took Astarte's hand.

"Come, let's attend our Master and end the waiting." Astarte nodded, squeezing his hand. Together the two demi-gods walked out of their prison and went towards the being that held their fate in his clawed hands.

Ba'al and Astarte kept their eyes averted from the two naked women that stood next to Satan's throne. Ba'al knew from experience that if he paid the females any attention at all, they would be used in the vilest ways for his Master's entertainment. Satan enjoyed using his toys to tease his subordinates. And more often than not, the _toys_ paid a severe price for his pleasure. Astarte just hoped that Satan didn't begin to look at her. She hated her existence in Hell with an all-consuming passion, but it was vastly more desirable than becoming a new item in her master's toy chest.

The demi-gods arrived at the foot of Satan's throne with their heads down and mouths shut. He looked down upon them, his lips curled slightly in amusement at their attempts to not attract his attention. He enjoyed it when his playthings knew their place. Especially when their fear emanated from them like a fragrant bouquet.

"I was not pleased with our outing." His statement hung in the air like an acid laden cloud. He waited for their individual fears to make themselves known and then the fun would begin.

"That had nothing to do with me!" Astarte protested, pointing a finger at Ba'al.

"I had no control over the insane musings of a dead woman!" Ba'al retorted.

"You should have done something to stop it!"

"The woman is dead! Pray tell how do you stop a dead person from talking through a fucking piece of cardboard?!"

Satan's smile grew as the two continued throwing accusations at each other. They're arguing was like sunshine to him. He could feel his spirit regenerate as their verbal barbs flew around the room.

Soon, he grew tired of the game. "Silence!" Ba'al and Astarte fell silent immediately.

"Do either of you think that I assign blame individually? Are you under the delusion that I'm fair?"

"Sire, I-"

"Did I give you permission to speak?!" Ba'al immediately stopped speaking and lowered his eyes in submission. "My vessel is showing signs of his spirit lifting. His relationship with the Swan is making him happy. And what does his happiness mean to me?" After the last reprisal, neither Ba'al or Astarte wanted to be the first one to speak. It was the wrong choice. Their silence enraged Satan.

"I suggest one of you answer me!" Both female servants visibly shuddered at his demand.

"Sire, I believe we need only to nudge the boy over the cliff, to speak. His happiness is tenuous at best." Ba'al promised. Satan, surveyed his quarry carefully. He was not convinced.

"Look." He demanded, waving one sharpened clawed finger in the air. The surrounding air began to swirl in blue hued clouds, revealing the figures of Edward Cullen and Bella Swan in a tight embrace. Edward pulled back from their kiss. His smile mirrored the one Bella was sporting. "Does that look like a soul that only needs a 'nudge'?" Ba'al winced as his words were thrown back at him. He'd underestimated the girl's effect on the boy and Satan was calling him out on it.

"Sire, while it appears that he is in good spirits, I assure you that it is still superficial. His wounds are deep. The fragility of his good humor has not changed. We need only to remind him of what he's done to once again darken his soul."

Without saying a word, Satan circled his finger twice and the images within the swirling air changed to show Edward sitting on a couch in what looked like a therapist's office. Ba'al's thoughts were confirmed when the image of another man entered into view.

"He's in therapy?" Astarte asked, her voice quivered slightly with the revelation.

"It appears that the child is healing. And that does not bode well for my plans, or for the two of you." He added. "What do you intend to do about it? You're both aware that the winter solstice is approaching, my vessel must be secured before the longest night ends or you two will return to your home, here with me." Ba'al and Astarte both shivered at his words. There was need for him to make any threats; they knew fully what their continued tenancy in Hell would entail.

"Master, rest assured, we'll take care of this problem. I'll see to it myself." Astarte promised as Ba'al stood beside her in shocked silence.

"It would be in both your best interests to do just that." Satan sneered before dismissing them with a wave.

Without another word, Ba'al and Astarte quickly removed themselves from his presence, fully aware that to Satan, they appeared to be running away, but neither of them cared. All they cared about was getting away from him and returning to the surface.

"And just how do you intend to 'take care of this problem'?" Ba'al contemptuously asked, as they hurried toward their rooms.

"I will ask Emmett what would break his brother and then proceed to do just that. Hurry, I don't wish to spend one more minute in this vile place." Her statement caused Ba'al to stop walking. He was dumbfounded at her plan and its simplicity. Shaking his head in amusement, he rushed to catch up with his brilliant partner.

 **~~TDP~~**

 **?POV**

"It appears that we may need to force our involvement."

"Our orders were to observe only."

"I don't believe that Father means to allow our fallen brother to achieve his goal. It would mean an end humankind, possibly Earth itself. Surely he means for us to interfere?"

"Until we are given specific orders to do so, we'll stay right here and watch as we were bid to do."

Both entities resumed their positions of observance, silently hoping that they would be called upon to interfere before it was too late.

* * *

Not a lot of new stuff here. I thought the characters needed a moment to collect themselves. I hope you enjoyed it. Big things are about to go down and I think you're all going to want to hang around for it. Any ideas on the mystery POV? Thank-you for reading.

Until next time,

ruinedbyrob


	18. Chapter 18

**One entire office move, a norovirus, a serious bout of bronchitis later and BOOM! A new chapter. Seriously, I'm really grateful to all of you for hanging with me. It's been a really, really, long two months. It means everything to me that you guys are still here.**

 **I couldn't have done this without the help of Sazzledazzled and Edwardsfirstkiss for their pre-reading and beta skills. You guys have been wonderful to me and I appreciate all of your help.**

 **SM owns Twilight but I own Devilward.**

* * *

 **The Devil's Plan**

Chapter 18

 _Thank You for Coming_

"Will your mom be okay with Charlie wanting to watch every football game he can find, before and immediately after dinner? Because I've been instructed to turn down the invitation if not." Bella was keenly aware of her father's college football addiction, but had hoped he could keep it in check long enough to eat Thanksgiving dinner with the Cullens' like a real family. She'd been wrong.

"Are you kidding? We don't see Emmett all day except to eat and even then he's got the games paused so he doesn't miss anything." Edward promised with a smile.

"Good. I really want to spend the day with you." She answered, snuggling up to his side as they sat on her couch watching, _The Goonies._ In the past Bella had never minded having holiday dinners with just Charlie after her mom left and grandparents died, but then she'd never had a boyfriend before. Now every spare minute she had was put aside for _Edward time._ The morning after their talk, he'd been waiting at the curb in his shiny car waiting to drive her to school. Which he did that day and had continued doing every school day since. Bella's attitude towards mornings had dramatically changed as a direct result.

"Me too." He confirmed while pulling her closer into his body.

Edward's outlook on life had changed as well. The guilt he carried was still with him, but he'd relegated it to the bottom of his closet and with Felix's help, was slowly but surely, emptying out the boxes. Bella was a ray of sunshine to him. She burst into his life when he needed her the most. Her smile both warmed and brightened his day. Thanks to her, he was becoming more worried about where to take her on dates and what movies she might want to see rather than dwelling on the past. To his surprise, he'd seen changes in his father's attitude also. While Edward was still cautious towards Carlisle, they'd been able to have several conversations that hadn't turned into screaming matches. They'd even gone as far as beginning to plan a Christmas light display, a long-standing tradition since Edward had been ten years old. Edward had thought that his brother's attitude was changing as well, but when Rosalie suddenly returned to Forks, after a vaguely explained absence, all of the late-night video gaming and tag team puppy play had ended. Luckily his relationship with Bella and the unconditional love that his four-legged best friend gave him eased the burn of his brother's bad attitude.

The couple's first arrival at Forks High brought a lot of stares and questions. Bella and Edward ignored everything except to confirm that they were indeed a couple. Alice and Angela were ecstatic at the news though Bella thought that part of Alice's happiness was due to Jasper's return. Regardless, Bella was happy to have the support. No one was happier to see the two together than Esme. She was beginning to feel the heavy cloud of guilt lift from her shoulders as she witnessed her son's growing happiness and decision to re-engage in life. While opening an interior design studio like the one she had in Seattle wasn't on her 'to do' list, at least not yet, she had made inquiries around town about her other interests. She was now in the process of organizing a gardening club and a ladies only book club.

With Carlisle finally accepting and embracing his new role at the hospital and Emmett receiving a lot of attention from college scouts, being a big fish in a little pond had its advantages, it appeared that the Cullen family, was on its way back from the abyss. Esme dared to hope that all of the bad stuff was behind them.

~~TDP~~

"Those pies look amazing." Charlie's chest inflated as he took a big sniff of the cooling pies.

"Really? I've never made pie crust from scratch before." Bella eyed the four pies sitting on the counter. One apple, one pumpkin, one cherry and one chocolate silk. She'd offered to make more than pies but Esme insisted she could handle the dinner if Bella made dessert.

"Sweetheart, they look amazing. But do we need four? I thought it was only going to be the six of us?"

"Thank you. I think Emmett's girlfriend is joining us for dinner and I'm trying to get Alice to come over for dessert." Ever since that first dinner at the Cullen's house, Rosalie had rubbed her the wrong way and continued to do so. Especially since Rose's bad attitude seemed to adversely affect how Emmett interacted with Edward. Still, she had no choice but to try to get along. Though she hoped that having Alice there would make things easier.

"Is she still seeing that Jasper boy?" Charlie's search on the two Hale kids had turned up next to nothing. Which in and of itself is a good thing seeing as neither had a police record, but they didn't seem to have any records. He'd briefly spoken to Lloyd Hale about his niece and nephew, but was disappointed and a bit alarmed when the man spat out a few sentences that had no substance and seemed to be memorized. He couldn't even tell Charlie how old the twins were or what school they'd attended before appearing in Forks. All he could say was that they were his sister's children from Texas and that he and his wife, Sharon were delighted they were living with them.

"Um, yeah."

"Will he be at dinner?"

"He'll probably come to dessert with Alice." Bella admitted. She wasn't happy when Alice took Jasper back without even a demand to know where he'd been for the last couple of weeks. But her friend was smiling again and Bella couldn't begrudge her that happiness, especially since she'd found her own happy place with Edward.

"Good. Maybe he and I will find time for a little chat." Bella raised an eyebrow at her father.

"Dad, please don't make a scene."

"Hey, do I ever embarrass you in front of your friends?" Bella's eye twitched as she proceeded to remind him about being dropped off at play dates from the back seat of his patrol car. Or her twelfth birthday when he presented her with pepper spray and proceeded to tell the three neighborhood boys who were in attendance that it would blind them and make them pee their pants. Or the time when she was ten minutes late walking back from a movie at Alice's house only to discover that Charlie had dispatched all three of his deputies to track her down, only to have them all converge at the Piggly Wiggly where she'd stopped off to buy tampons.

"Okay, okay." He laughed, holding his hands up in surrender. "I can see by your expression you seem to feel I have in some way, _in the past_ , embarrassed you." Bella opened her mouth to remind him that the last event happened only a year ago. "BUT, as your father it's my duty to ferret out any pertinent information regarding that Hale kid. And I will do so as I see fit." He ended his statement with a smirk and crossed his arms over his chest, daring her to argue.

Bella smiled and leaned up to kiss his cheek. "Okay, daddy. You win."

~~TDP~~

"I think we'll use Great-Grandma Cullen's china instead of mine for dinner. What do you think?" Edward shrugged at his mother. A plate was a plate to him. "Well, you're no help." He had to stifle a laugh as his mother threw up her hands in mock disgust. Edward knew she wasn't upset. In fact, he hadn't seen her this excited in quite a while. "Go set the table."

After Edward finished setting the table, Great-Grandma Cullen's china looked quite fetching against the Autumn themed table cloth, with his task completed, he wandered back into the den where his brother and father were watching football.

"Did you see that?" Emmett asked, pointing to the big screen TV. "That coach is fearless! Boy, I hope he saw my game against Temple. I would love to play for them."

"You don't think you'd want to stay a little closer to home?" Carlisle winced as he watched the crimson and white uniforms of the Oklahoma Sooners flash across the screen.

"Dad, you know Washington is my top choice but playing for the Sooners would be so cool."

"Well, I think that your mother would appreciate you staying close to home. The last year has been very challenging." Edward stopped short at his father's words. Like a criminal, he hung back at the doorway, hiding in the shadows as his father continued to speak. "Especially for your mother. I think you should seriously consider staying close to home, for her sake."

"Dad, I'll think about it. Where I go will depend on where Rosie wants to go."

"Son, you cannot allow your feelings for that girl to affect your future."

"Rosie is my future!" Emmett's voice rose defensively.

Edward could hear his father sigh from his hiding place in the hallway.

"Emmett, you just met her. You have to think of your family-"

"No! Don't you dare say that to me. Did Edward think of the family when he slept with Tanya? No, he didn't, but we all paid for it!"

Edward flinched at the unmistaken anger in his brother's voice, he prepared himself for the rest he was sure to come.

"Emmett-"

"I know what you're going to say. Mom has said it a hundred times. 'Think about Edward, Edward lost so much, Edward was taken advantage of-" Edward shuddered as Emmett mimicked is mother's voice.

"That's enough. I will not have you mocking your mother!" Carlisle sighed loudly before continuing. "Look, I know it's been difficult. Your teammates, your friends, Alec…" Edward allowed his head to fall back onto the wall behind him at the mention of Emmett's best friend and Tanya's son. Despite the advances he'd been making in his quest to move forward, he couldn't forget the ones that had been left behind because of his weakness.

~~TDP~~

"What exactly is this feast celebrating?" Ba'al asked as he watched Astarte spray a highly flammable and sticky substance all over her finely coiffed head.

"Emmett says it's basically an excuse to eat roasted fowl and sweetened pie while pretending to be grateful for things. Oh, and he said to wear stretchy pants." She put the can down onto the counter and turned to Ba'al with a sarcastic smirk. "I don't _do_ stretchy pants."

"I can see that." Ba'al snorted as he took in her decidedly tight and fairly short attire.

"When will you and the _girl_ get there?"

"Alice said something about being there for the pumpkin dessert. Evidently it's a big deal for the celebration."

"Yes, Emmett mentioned it. Well, I suppose I should be going. I do enjoy watching Emmett eat." Astarte said, rolling her eyes.

"I trust that you will be doing more than just watching the large child eat?" Ba'al asked with a raised brow.

"Of course. I promised him fellatio if he makes his brother cry during dinner." She said flippantly before leaving the room.

~~TDP~~

"Emmett if you open that oven door one more time, I'll throw the whole thing away and make tuna salad sandwiches for lunch!" Emmett's large frame shuddered at his mother's threat, before slamming the oven door and rushing out of the kitchen. "I swear, that boy is a turkey freak." Bella laughed at Esme's exasperated expression. She and Charlie had only been at the Cullen's for a little over an hour and she'd witnessed Emmett attempting to peek at the turkey no less than three times. Kodi, sniffed the air trying to suck in as much of the turkey scented air as possible.

"You too, fuzzy!" She shooed the large puppy out after her son.

"I can understand his obsession. It smells wonderful." Esme beamed at the compliment. "Charlie and I usually just have ham. I've never gotten the courage to try cooking a turkey."

Esme laid a warm hand on Bella's shoulder. She'd begun to think of the motherless girl as a daughter. "I would love to show you how to cook a turkey."

"Thank you," Bella said softly, her face awash in sadness.

"Bella, I don't know what happened to your mother, why she's not here with you but I am. If you need anything-"

"She left us." Bella's statement hung in the air like an over inflated balloon. Esme's heart clenched at her admission. She'd guessed it was something like that. The gossip about Renee Swan's departure from Forks and her young family had begun to find her ears as soon as it became known that Edward and Bella were dating.

Esme searched Bella's expression. Her heart breaking at the look of rejection on the girl's face. "I'm sure it's been difficult for you and your father." Bella nodded and cast her eyes to the ground. "But I'm sure it was also very difficult for her. I'm sure she feels terrible about leaving you. Mother's don't abandon their children with little thought." Esme's words had been meant to lessen the feeling of rejection that was so obvious in Bella's eyes.

"I want to believe that, but I don't know…" Bella wanted to believe. For her sake as well as for Edward.

"Believe me, sweetheart, a mother's love doesn't stop." Esme pulled Bella close, kissing the top of her head, reinforcing the words she was saying. Her words and actions the opposite of how Edward had described her when they lived in Seattle.

"What's going on in here?" Edward asked from the doorway. His mood instantly lifted when he saw the two women embracing. After overhearing his father and brother earlier, he'd vowed to not allow it to mar the day his mother had been looking forward to for the last two weeks. At Bella and Charlie's arrival, he'd pushed the feelings that conversation evoked, deep down and would tackle them another time.

"Your mom offered to give me cooking lessons." Bella said.

"I sure did. Though I doubt you need the help if those beautiful pies are any indication of your cooking skills."

"I concur," Edward said, raking a finger through the whipped cream topping on the French Silk pie. "Bella, these look amazing."

"Edward!" Esme admonished her son.

"Thank you." Bella said, trying very hard to not focus on Edward's finger as he licked the whipped cream off.

"Edward, will you please carry the green beans and mashed potatoes to the table?" Esme interrupted Bella's slow perusal of her son, with a raised eyebrow. The girl that she'd just been embracing like a daughter blushed furiously at being caught ogling her son. Edward grabbed the two bowls and headed into the dining room.

"Bella, would you be so kind as to take the water and iced tea pitchers' out?" With her two helpers at work, Thanksgiving dinner was soon on the table.

"This looks fantastic, sweetheart." Carlisle smiled warmly at his wife.

"It really does. Esme, Carlisle, thank you for including Bella and me in your family celebration." Charlie said sincerely, his eyes never leaving the beautifully presented turkey sitting in front of him.

"You and Bella are always welcome." Carlisle nodded in agreement with his wife's statement.

"So, are we going to eat or what?" Emmett asked, tucking his napkin into the collar of his shirt and grabbing his fork and knife. Rosalie looked amused at his antics.

"Emmett, you know the rules." Esme admonished. Emmett rolled his eyes and put his silverware down.

"Fine. I'll go first. I'm thankful this crap town has a decent weight room and pizza place, that the three cops in this burg never seem to be wherever I am and that my angel landed here just when I needed her." Emmett took Rose's hand, kissing her knuckles. Bella noted that Rose looked on with an expression that almost looked like affection.

"Well, that's great son, you managed to insult our new city and our guest. I'd say that is a new record for you." Carlisle said, sarcastically.

"No offense, Chief." Emmett quickly added.

"None taken. You drive the big Jeep, right?" Emmett's eyes got wide as he nodded.

"Rose, would you like to go next?" Esme asked.

Rose's eyes darted around the room quickly before settling on Emmett.

"I'm not familiar with this holiday tradition. What are the rules?" Her strange statement stunned the table. Charlie was just about to ask her what she meant when Emmett spoke,

"There's no rule Rosie, just say what you're thankful for." Emmett said, squeezing her hand. Rosalie thought for a moment before speaking.

"I quite enjoy wearing jeans and adore hair dryers." Rosalie said, running her hand through her shiny hair before smiling up to Emmett as if looking for approval. The rest of the table remained quiet at her strange admission.

"Um, okay. Well, thank you Rosalie. Charlie?" Carlisle looked to Charlie, hoping he would erase the weirdness of Rose's statement.

"I'm thankful for my girl," Charlie said, smiling down at Bella. "the Seahawks, Mariners, Sol Duc lake and Kevlar vests. Not that I've ever needed one, but you know, they're nice to have around." He added with a shrug. His remarks earned smiles and soft guffaws from everyone but Rosalie, who looked vaguely bored.

"I'll go next," Carlisle said, taking a drink of his wine before speaking. "It's been a rough year, for all of us." He stopped and looked at each one of his family members before continuing. "But I feel as if we're beginning to settle into our lives here in Forks. And I'm thankful that we've done this as a family. A family that God willing, will continue to grow stronger as we move forward and put the bad moments behind us." He finished with a smile and another drink of wine almost as if he were toasting to himself.

Esme raised her glass to her husband as Edward took Bella's hand and Emmett gave a frown. "I second that," Esme said. "I'm thankful that we made it through the last year and we're sitting around this table as a family and so very thankful for the people that helped us get here." Edward squeezed Bella's hand, Emmett kissed Rosalie's cheek while Charlie looked confused.

"Who wants to go next?" Bella felt Edward tense slightly beside her.

"I'll go," Bella said quickly, giving Edward a moment's reprieve. "I'm thankful for my dad who has always been there for me through everything and who understands me better than anyone even when I don't make any sense and am being slightly crazy." Her voice began to crack at the end of her rushed statement, causing Charlie to lean in immediately and envelope his daughter into a hug.

"I love you, baby. Always." Charlie whispered into her hair. He pulled back as Bella dabbed at the tears that had begun to fall from her eyes. Esme, did the same as she observed the closeness between father and daughter.

"I also want to thank all of you for making me feel so welcomed in your home." Esme smiled deeply and nodded.

"We love having you here."

"Edward…" Bella's voice faltered as she looked into his eyes. There was so much she wanted to say to him but saying it in front of his family didn't feel right. Instead she hoped that he could see the depth of her feelings in her eyes.

Edward smiled, leaning down to place his forehead onto hers and whispering, "Ditto."

Charlie's look of confusion was replaced with one of concern. It was readily apparent his girl was jumping into this relationship with both feet. His senses as a father and an investigator were both piqued. He would have to look into the Cullen's a bit more.

Charlie wasn't the only father at the table who was concerned by the depth of Bella and Edward's relationship. Carlisle wondered if it were a good idea to allow this kind of a relationship to flourish so soon after the last year they'd had. Esme on the other hand, was beaming at the two young people.

Bella pulled away with a blush and dabbed her eyes with a napkin as Edward took a deep breath and squared his shoulders, never letting go of Bella's left hand. "I um, I just want to say thank you. Dad, thank you for trying and mom for not giving up on me. And um…" He paused and looked at Emmett. Their eyes met over the table. Edward's expression was one of deep regret while Emmett's was cold. Edward sighed and looked away from his brother, instead focusing on the orange furball sitting at his left knee. "Thank you for my newest best friend, Kodi." Only then did he let go of Bella to rub Kodi's soft head. Despite his attempts to remain aloof towards his brother, Emmett found himself smiling at the display. However a quick elbow jab from Rose erased the smile immediately.

"Can we eat now?" Emmett asked, coldly.

Esme wrenched her eyes from the touching scene and addressed her oldest son. "Yes, Emmett. We can eat now. Please everyone, enjoy."

For the most part, the meal that followed was one that mirrored the same ones occurring in millions of American homes. The clinking of silverware and murmurs of appreciation and contentment echoed throughout the dining room as the meal was consumed.

"That was amazing, my love. You out did yourself." Esme smiled at Carlisle's compliment as stomachs were patted in contentment and thanks were once again given as the meal ended.

"I think we're all in for a treat for dessert." Bella blushed under Edward's praise.

"I'll go get the pies." Bella stood up from the table with Edward right behind her.

"I'll help."

"Can we eat dessert in the living room? There's still a lot of football to watch."

"I'll tell you what, you clear the table while Bella and Edward get dessert ready and it's a deal." Emmett grumbled but began clearing the dirty dishes, following Bella and Edward into the kitchen. Rosalie grabbed a glass off the table and followed Emmett.

"Does your mom mean for us to use these plates?" Bella pointed to the delicate looking plates with gold rims.

"I think so." Edward answered, closing the silverware drawer.

"You must think you're really clever thanking them for Kodi before I could."

"What are you talking about?" Edward turned to his brother in confusion.

"Like you don't know. Here we go again, Edward trying to be the good son. Saying all of the right things and tugging at all the right heart strings." Rose placed the solitary glass she'd carried in onto the cabinet and turned to watch the brother's fight with a satisfied look on her face.

"Emmett-"

"Just stop. I don't know how you do it."

"Do what?" Bella watched the boys with growing concern.

"You fuck up everyone's lives and still you come out on top. 'Poor Edward, think about what he lost, have some compassion' I'm sick of being told to feel sorry for you. Everything always has to work out for you. I've wanted a dog ever since Casey died, but we don't get one until mom and dad decide the only friend you'll ever have is the one they buy you! What are you going to do? Cry? Go ahead. Cry to mom and dad. Maybe they'll buy you a pony!"

"Shut the fuck up! You have no idea what I've gone through or how difficult it's been-"

"Oh really? Tell me how much harder it's been for you than Alec. He lost his family because of you!"

"Not only me! I didn't do it by myself!"

"So you didn't seduce his mother? You didn't call her; make excuses for her to spend time with you?"

"NO! Not like that. You don't know anything about it!"

"Please! You've always been spoiled and favored. But you just had to push it and take what wasn't yours to take! And then everyone has to run to **you**! They had to protect **you**! **We all** have to protect **you**!" Bella gasped at his outburst. Her eyes darted to Edward's reddened face and clenched fists.

"You **never** protected me! Where were you when I was being used by that woman? Huh? Where? She abused me and where was my big brother's protection? His understanding?"

"Abuse? You were getting your dick wet with a beautiful older woman and **you** want to claim abuse?"

"She **used** me! It was abuse!" If Edward had made that declaration at any other time, Bella would have been proud of him, but instead Bella screamed as Emmett launched himself towards Edward.

"You little piece of shit!" The boys grappled for only seconds before the kitchen door slammed open.

"Boys! Stop! Please stop!" Esme's panicked cry startled the boys long enough to allow Charlie and Carlisle to get a hold of them. Kodi's barking joined their mother's voice as the little dog ran from one of his boys to the other, not understanding what was going on.

Charlie had the struggling Emmett in a police hold. "Calm down boy!" He ordered sternly.

Carlisle was having a much easier time holding onto Edward as most of the fight had gone out of him at hearing his mother's cries.

Bella's hands were shaking as her adrenaline level topped out. With wide and watery eyes she took in the sight of the family in shambles. Edward looked absolutely crushed as his father held onto his arm.

"Mom…" His voice was rough and strangled. Esme looked to her son with tears in her eyes.

Carlisle looked equally as crushed as his wife. He let go of Edward and turned to his oldest child. "Emmett, go upstairs. NOW!"

Charlie let go of Emmett and stood back slightly, but stayed close enough that if the giant boy decided to not listen to his father, he could step back in.

Emmett huffed and puffed, his face bright red and his eyes still locked onto his brother.

"Now Emmett!" Carlisle's voice rose two octaves with the order and Emmett reacted.

"This is bullshit!" He yelled as he rushed out of the room, overturning a chair on his way out.

Esme turned to the sink, her shoulders shook with emotion. Carlisle looked at his wife, and then at his youngest son, before looking at the confused Charlie. "Thank you for your help. We can take it from here."

Charlie opened his mouth to say something but instead just nodded solemnly. But Bella could see the questions bouncing behind his eyes. She knew he'd heard what had been said and knew that he'd expect Bella to tell him what she knew about it.

"Bella, I think we should go. Carlisle, Esme thank you for the meal, if you need anything-"

"Thank you, Charlie." Carlisle cut him off with a nod and a tight-lipped smile. "We'll handle it."

"Fine." Charlie nodded, holding his hand out to his daughter. "Bella."

Bella's eyes darted between her father, Esme and Carlisle to finally land on Edward. Ignoring her father's outstretched hand, she walked over and took Edward in her arms. He stiffened immediately but when her hold intensified, he relented and hugged her back, needing her strength and assurances to keep him upright. He hadn't wanted a fight though he knew some kind of confrontation was going to happen after overhearing the conversation earlier, but he never intended to have it with Charlie and Bella in the house. Now, his body and mind were exhausted. He only hoped that his family wouldn't want to revisit the event as soon as Bella and her father left.

"It's okay. You were right with what you said. He needed to hear it. They all did." Bella's whispered words filled his mending heart with hope. He hugged her tightly to him, hoping she would understand what he couldn't verbalize.

"Bella." Charlie insisted. Bella reluctantly pulled away from Edward and looked to her dad.

"Okay, just let me get my things." He nodded and began walking out of the room before stopping and turning back to the room.

"Rosalie, do you need a ride home?" At Charlie's question, everyone's eyes darted to the silent and forgotten girl leaning up against the refrigerator.

"My brother was supposed to come for dessert. I'll wait for him." She stated, crossing her arms over her chest.

Bella felt sick to her stomach as she took in the slight smirk still attached to her face. Why did Rosalie appear to take so much pleasure in the Cullen's pain? And why did Bella get the feeling that she had somehow lit Emmett's fuse or at least fanned the flames?

"I don't think we're quite up for more company. Charlie, I would be obliged if you would give Rosalie a ride." Carlisle turned back towards his wife; disappointment and grief were etched on his face.

"Of course. Ladies, shall we?" Rosalie huffed but followed Charlie down the hallway.

"Edward, let's see our guests out." Carlisle directed. Edward pressed a lingering kiss to Bella's temple before following Charlie and Rosalie out of the room.

"Esme…I'll be right back." Carlisle sighed and gave Bella a head nod before following his son.

Bella released a deep breath and put a hand on the wall for support. Like Edward, she'd found the events in the kitchen exhausting.

What could she say to Edward's mother? How could she let Esme know that she understood and wanted to help?

"Esme, Edward told me what happened in Seattle." Bella waited a moment as Esme collected her thoughts.

"Good." She said in a shaky voice. "He needs someone…he needs you."

"I need him too." Bella said softly. Esme looked over her shoulder at the tearful girl, wanting nothing more than to rush over and take her in her arms, but Esme's strength was gone. Letting go of the counter top was not an option.

"He's getting better. I know what happened makes it look like the opposite but, he's letting go. He fought back."

Esme's head dipped as she took in Bella's words. She was right. Normally, Edward would have borne his brother's shouts without saying anything. But today he fought back. Today, he accused his brother of not protecting him and Esme felt that guilt on top of everything else.

"Esme, it's going to be all right." Bella promised, hugging Esme from behind. "We'll work together to make it all right." Bella squeezed her again before rushing out of the room.

Esme stood at her kitchen sink and looked out onto the yard. The shadows growing longer as twilight took hold. The day that had started so promising, but like so many days that the sun met with promise, the darkness of what had happened in Seattle, now threatened to take away.

~~TDP~~

"Do all of your holidays end in such a way, Bella? With a fight and everyone leaving early?" Bella looked at Rosalie in shock at her callous question.

"Hey, let's not be mean." Charlie cautioned, wriggling uncomfortably in his seat. As adept as he was at slowing the roll of an enraged football player, he would be at a total loss if a girl fight broke out in the car. Could he use handcuffs on girls? What if they bit him?

"Oh, was that mean? Is it mean to point out the obvious?"

Bella turned around in her seat. "Why do you always want them to fight?"

"Whatever do you mean?"

"Oh, please. You know exactly what I mean." Bella accused. She'd just said goodbye to a boy that looked absolutely broken and she couldn't or wouldn't shake off the feeling that Rosalie had planned the whole thing. "You're constantly poking at Emmett to start a fight with Edward."

Rosalie laughed. "My, my, why does everyone think they have to protect little Edward."

"You little-"

"Girls! Stop!" Bella immediately recognized Charlie's official Chief of Police voice and silently sat back into her seat, while Rosalie smirked from the front seat.

Before Bella could say another word, Charlie pulled up in front of the Hale's two story home. With a voice much too chipper for the day's events, Rosalie opened the door to get out throwing a "Thanks for the ride" over her shoulder before walking towards the house.

"There's something not right about that girl." Bella nodded in agreement, her eyes darting to the now open door where Jasper was waiting for his sister.

Ba'al watched the taillights of Charlie's car travel down the street before turning to Astarte. "Imagine my surprise when Alice called to say that dessert had been cancelled. Can I assume that Emmett earned his reward?" Astarte leaned casually against the doorway, smiling.

"He did. He did indeed."

* * *

I'm still recuperating from being sick but I hope to be able to get back to writing with regularity. I really, really do appreciate all of you sticking with me. Your support means to the world to me.

Until next time,

ruinedbyrob


	19. Chapter 19

**Much love to all of you that have hung in there waiting for an update. Sickness and work issues have kept this chapter on the back burner. Hopefully it's clear sailing from here on out.**

 **Hugs and kisses to Sazzledazzled for keeping me on track and Edwardsfirstkiss for her willingness to correct my mistakes.**

 **S/M owns the Twilight universe but I own this little slice of the Devil's kingdom.**

* * *

 **The Devil's Plan**

 **Chapter 19**

 ** _Discoveries_**

Charlie parked the car and followed his daughter into their dark house. He stopped to turn on lights as she hurried into the kitchen with her pie plates. He watched her retreating figure with trepidation. They needed to have a conversation and he wasn't sure how to go about it. If she were a random juvenile delinquent, sitting in his station awaiting questioning over any number of misdemeanor offenses, his path would have been clear. But this was his daughter, and the truths she needed to spill weren't her own. Truthfully, he had no right to ask any questions. The Cullen's' hadn't broken any laws, but they were definitely broken and if the one person in the world that mattered the most to him was going to be spending time over there, he needed a few answers.

Bella could hear her father's movements throughout the house as he flipped the light switches. He was slowly making his way to the kitchen, slower than necessary she thought. Bella kept to her task, hoping beyond hope that she would complete it before he entered it. Charlie rarely invaded her bedroom. She'd long ago declared it off limits to her father. Not that he'd put up any kind of a fight. He had no wish to see her haphazardly discarded bra or panties lying around. The fear of blundering onto such things had prompted him to build another bathroom just off the kitchen. It was cramped and had only a toilet and small shower but it suited Charlie just fine.

Bella shut the refrigerator door and turned to bolt up the stairs only to find her father leaning against the doorway, blocking her path.

"Um, the pies are in the fridge if you want a piece. Look at the time. I think I'll just get to bed." Bella stifled a yawn while looking at the invisible watch not sitting on her wrist.

"Sit." Charlie ordered, pointing to the kitchen table.

"Dad." She whined.

"Sit." He ordered again with a raised eyebrow. Bella knew better than to attempt any more teen tricks. She pulled out a chair and laid her head down onto the table top and waited for him to start.

"What the hell was that?" No further explanation was needed. She knew exactly what he was referring to.

"Um, regular brotherly antics?"

"No. That big kid was spoiling to hurt Edward. It took all I had to hold him back. There was nothing regular about that. Do they do that often?" Charlie asked, worried that Bella might find herself in the middle of the two boys.

"Not all the time." She admitted, her voice muffled into her crossed arms. Charlie eyed her warily, her explanation didn't fill him with the warm fuzzies.

"Has it ever turned physical before?"

"No. Just verbal."

"Bella, what would make Emmett go after Edward like that? Did you see Esme? The poor woman was in tears and Carlisle, well he looked defeated. Brothers fight, but this is something more. Now, tell me what you can." Charlie ordered with a stern look. While he wouldn't demand she spill all of their secrets, he would get some answers.

"Emmett blames Edward for them having to leave Seattle." Bella spilled before flopping dramatically into her chair.

"Is he to blame?" Bella nodded quickly at his question, looking anywhere but at her father.

Charlie's investigatory instincts twitched as the possibilities of what would cause a whole family to uproot their lives ran through his mind. Drug abuse was the most logical explanation. A family would logically move to avoid scandal or to give their son a chance to start over. While Forks wasn't immune to the dark underbelly of drug use, there was a better chance of being dispatched for the random bag of dog shit finding its way onto the front porch of a teacher than having to deal with a serious drug issue.

"Drugs?" He asked but was quickly relieved to see Bella shake her head no. "If I run him through the system, what am I going to find?"

"Nothing." His eyes narrowed at her firm declaration.

"Bella, a family doesn't uproot like that and move unless there was something to run from. If it wasn't drugs or anything criminal-"

"Dad, let it go." Bella pleaded.

"Baby, I have to protect you. I need to know-"

"What happened is over and they're just trying to deal with it, but I promise that Emmett won't hurt me and what happened in Seattleis over and _can't_ hurt me. Please, trust me." Charlie's heart broke a little at her plea.

"Okay." He whispered. Bella moved quickly to throw her arms around him.

"Thank you, dad."

"You're welcome, but I would feel better if you guys spent more of your time here when Emmett is around and Bella, what's up with Rosalie? Did you spit in her cornflakes or something?" Charlie was surprised at how much the blond girl's attitude disturbed him. Lord knows, Bella and Alice had had their drama queen moments throughout the years, but what he'd seen on Rosalie's face was more than that. He couldn't explain it but her expression when the boys had been fighting was almost gleeful. And her attitude towards Bella was an extra level of snotty.

"Um, I honestly don't know what her problem is. She seems to enjoy it when they fight but I don't know why. I mean, it's awful."

"Well, let's steer clear of her too," Charlie said with fatherly concern.

"Not a problem." Bella promised.

~~TDP~~

"After yesterday, I'm surprised your dad will let me anywhere near you," Edward said solemnly while taking in all of the sights in Bella's bedroom. "much less allowing me into your bedroom." Bella watched as he trailed his long fingers over the photos of Alice and her that were pinned to the cork board over her desk. She inwardly cringed when he found the series of photos from her thirteenth summer. Braces on her teeth and a bad perm on her head had made that summer especially heinous. He'd just chuckled quietly and moved on.

"Well, you _are_ my boyfriend," she said, loving the way it sounded to her ears.

"Yeah, but that's usually the word that makes bedrooms off limits. Not the opposite." He laughed, shaking his head and walking over to join her on the bed. Bella tried not to allow her brain to make her think of the other bedrooms Edward may have been invited into. While he'd told her about his relationship with Tanya, she wasn't aware of the particulars. Had he been in Tanya's bedroom, her bed?

"Why do you think he let me up here?" Edward asked, tracing the vine design on her comforter with his finger.

Bell smiled, taking in the vision of this beautiful boy sitting on her bed. "He trusts me."

Edward looked at her and nodded. "That must be nice." He commented quietly, casting his eyes back down to her deep purple comforter. "I wish I could erase my history and get my parent's trust back.

"They'll come around." Bella assured him. Her heart went out to him. She hated to see his countenance fall at the thought of how his family feels about hm. Noticing her family bible sitting on her dresser; she jumped up to get it. "Do you want to learn about my history, well my mother's family history?"

Edward nodded, appreciating that she was trying to take his mind of everything and that she wanted to share something so personal with him.

"Okay, I haven't really looked at this closely," she said sighing loudly, not sure how much to reveal about her own history because she didn't want to add more weight to his shoulders, "so I should probably tell you, um about my family." The tone of her voice caused Edward some concern. He hadn't wanted to push her to tell me about her mother though he was curious.

Bella took a deep breath, deciding to let it all come out. "My mom, disappeared when I was a toddler." Edward moved to grab her hand in support. "It's been really difficult thinking all these years that I was so unwanted that she had to run away from me." She smiled as Edward squeezed her hand, encouraging her to go on. "You remember everything that happened at Halloween?" Edward nodded, while rubbing his thumb across the top of her hand on soothing circles. She couldn't help but smile at his sweet gesture.

"Yeah, that was crazy and I still don't understand exactly what happened. But whatever it was brought up a bunch of questions about my mom. And when I spoke to Charlie about it all, he um, said some things that made me think there might be more to her leaving us then we know."

"And you think the answers are in this book?" Edward asked, running his hand over the worn leather cover.

"I'm not sure. There might be something in here or not, but at least I'll learn a bit more about my Mother's side of the family."

"Okay, how can I help?" Edward was eager to give back some of the support that she'd shown him.

"Just keep an open mind." Edward nodded affirmatively at her request. "Okay, well, I told you that I'd always thought my mom ran off because she didn't want to be a mom or a wife anymore. After the party Charlie said a few things that made me think maybe that's not exactly true."

"What do you think happened?" Edward asked, his eyes wide with interest.

"I don't know for sure, but he said that at the time my mom left, she felt that there was some kind of force affecting the family and she was trying to figure it out."

"You mean, a curse?"

Bella shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, but she and my dad fought about it the day she disappeared. He said that it had something to do with her parent's death. Actually, the deaths of a lot of my ancestors."

"What's so odd about their deaths?" Edward huddled a little closer to her. Bella inwardly shivered in delight at his closeness.

"They all died young and only had one child per family."

Edward leaned back to look at her face. "How young and why only one child?"

"I don't know. I'm hoping that this will give me some answers," she said, holding up the book.

"Let's get started."

 **~~TDP~~**

The sun had begun to wane, casting its long shadow onto the floor of Bella's bedroom window. Discarded lunch plates and cans of soda littered the floor where Edward and Bella sat unaffected by the mess; their heads together as they read through Bella's family bible. As of yet they'd found nothing that told them why Renee Swan had abandoned her family, but they had discovered that the _die young with one child curse_ had affected Bella's ancestors going back to at least the early 1800's, which was as far back as the entries went. Just as Charlie had told her, none of her ancestors had lived to be much older than thirty-five years old and other than a few divorces, where there was a step child or a half sibling to her ancestor, there was one child per family. With both sides of her mother's family afflicted, what seemed to be just a coincidence when they started their research was now looking more and more like the curse that Edward had mentioned earlier.

"So your mom's maiden name means Swan in Italian and your dad's last name is Swan too? You're a double Swan?" Edward rubbed his eyes, his contact lenses were dry from the excessive reading.

"Weird, right?

"I'll say. I wonder if your families are related."

"Maybe, although it would be distantly. My paternal grandfather's family is from Ireland and my mom's dad was Italian." Bella sighed as she traced yet another branch off her family tree that ended in the death of both parents and the child becoming orphaned.

Edward sat up and stretched his neck, grimacing slightly at the popping and grinding sounds that were produced as he moved his stiff muscles.

"You know what's even weirder? My paternal grandmother's and grandfather's names are White and Swan. My maternal grandparent's names are Black and Swan. I'm half White Swan and half Black Swan."

"I think that makes you one hundred percent pure Swan." Edward exclaimed, leaning in to tickle her side. Bella giggled and rolled onto her back. Edward moved his fingers to her warm stomach and then down to her other side where he placed his hand firmly on her hip. Bella's giggles ceased as she looked up into his eyes. They'd sat side by side all afternoon pouring over her book, with nary a heated glance or suggestive word between them, but now, as she watched Edward's eyes darken and his toned chest move with his deep breaths, she forgot about a possible family curse and thought about nothing but how much she wanted to kiss him.

"Bella. I, um, I want-" Bella smiled at his inability to speak coherently and brought her fingers up to his neck, delighting in the shudder that rushed through his body.

"Edward, kiss me," She whispered, pulling him down on top of her. There was no resistance on Edward's part as he gladly acquiesced to her breathy demand. Their lips instantly met in soft and tentative touches that quickly turned more insistent. They made out on her bedroom floor like any horny teens would when left alone. Their kisses and touches became more intimate. When Bella's legs came up to cradle him between her thighs, Edward pushed further into her and moved his right hand up to cup her left breast. She quickly took his hand and pushed it under her shirt, wanting to feel his fingers on her flesh. To her delight, he understood what she wanted and began to rhythmically squeeze the firm flesh. The sounds of their mingled moans filled the room as their exploration of each other continued.

"Bella, I think we should stop."

"No!" She whimpered as Edward pulled away, her fingers grasped his shirt and tried to keep her hold on him.

Edward gently loosened her hands from around his waist where they had been making their way towards his swollen crotch. She reluctantly released him, allowing her arms to fall heavily to the floor with a resounding thump.

"Um, that's a bit dramatic don't you think?" He questioned with a raised eyebrow and quirky grin. Edward was intent on not making the same mistake twice. Even though he knew the relationship he had with Bella was absolutely nothing like the one he'd had with Tanya, there were moments when he realized that if he'd slowed Tanya down maybe he would have seen that she was using him. Sex had happened immediately in their unhealthy relationship and he was determined to make sure what he had with Bella was healthy for both of them.

"Why did you stop?" Bella questioned from underneath him. He could tell from her expression and exasperated tone of voice, that he was frustrated with his actions. The throbbing going on his lower regions was echoing her displeasure.

"I just want to take it slowly."

"How slowly?" Bella asked with narrowed eyes. If he weren't trying to be serious, he'd laugh at her frustrated expression. She clearly wanted to move a little faster.

"Just slower. I want that with you, really," he said, hoping to reassure her. "but it's important to me that I do it right this time." Bella's eyes softened. She knew what he was trying to say and as much as she longed to have him back between her legs, she knew he was right.

"I'm sorry," she said, pushing her shirt back down to cover her bra and removing her legs from his torso. "It's the virgin hormones."

If she hadn't been staring at his flushed face, she would have missed the guilt that flashed in his eyes. Losing his virginity to an older woman had, at the time, seemed like a sixteen-year old boy's fantasy come true. But now he wished more than anything that he could experience it with Bella.

"Hey," Bella whispered, taking his chin in her hand, forcing him to look at her. "it's okay. I'm not the least bit upset that I'm the only virgin in this equation. In a way it's kind of reassuring that one of us knows what we're doing and I'll trust you to set the speed." When he'd arrived this morning, he hadn't anticipated having this conversation, but he'd be lying if he wasn't a bit relieved to get it out of the way.

"Thank you," he whispered, leaning in to give her a light kiss. "When the time is right for both of us, I promise to make it good for you." He smiled as Bella's face heated with a blush. If there was one good thing that had come out of his disastrous relationship with Tanya, it was that he'd been shown how to make sex a good experience for his partner.

"You're welcome. Now, should we get back to figuring out my family curse?" Edward nodded and they moved to once again huddle around the giant book.

For the next hour they traced family trees only to find that they all ended in the same tragic way.

"Hey, did you see this entry?" Edward asked excitedly, pointing to a handwritten note on the side of the page next to her great-great grandparent's entry.

"What is it?" She asked.

"It says that your great-great grandmother was pregnant at the time of her death and that she'd been to the local priest several times complaining, whoa, that's weird." Edward's face scrunched up as he read the last passage.

"What?" Bella demanded, pushing him out of the way to read the entry herself. "Are you kidding me? She thought a demon was following her? Not only are we cursed but crazy runs in our family too?"

"I have a great aunt that's sure her dead husband was reincarnated as her pet pug, Harry. Your family doesn't own all of the crazy." Edward grinned as Bella laughed.

"Really? Harry the pug?"

"Yep, he eats at the dinner table and sleeps in her bed. It drives my grandmother crazy to have to set an extra plate for the little bugger."

"Okay, that's nuts." She agreed. "Are there any more notes that we missed?" The two teens began backtracking through the book, scouring the pages for any tidbit they may have overlooked.

Within an hour they had found several more notes written in corners and other hard to notice areas. As they read through the notes they discovered that many of Bella's ancestors in one way or the other had also thought something dark and sinister was following them. The notes appeared to have been added by random family members, friends and every once in a while, they would find what looked like a priest or other religious figure mentioned. One of Bella's ancestors had a brother that had entered into the life of a Benedictine Monk. He had written that his sister had broken the rules of his order, coming to his monastery, demanding that he perform a cleansing ritual in her house as she was convinced that the Devil was watching her from the shadows of her home. He'd gone on to write that she was hysterical and feared for the life of her young daughter. He had tried to assuage her fears, gaining permission from the Abbot, to go to her home and pray with her. He went on to say that despite their prayers, his sister and her husband were killed a scant weeks later when their home caught fire. His niece was the lone survivor and went to live with another family in the same village. That survivor had been Bella's great-great-great grandmother.

Bella sat back on her heels and rubbed her eyes. Charlie had told her about her mother's sudden interest in religion, more specifically, The Devil. What did it all mean and how did it have any relevance to Renee's disappearance? Bella's head began to pound painfully as she tried absorb what they'd found.

"Are you okay?" Edward asked softly.

"I don't know," Bella said honestly. "Edward, my dad told me that my mom was researching Satan and had suddenly become more religious. She'd wanted me to be baptized and everything. He said that they'd been arguing about her obsession right before she left."

"Wow. Um, wow," Edward uttered with a shake of his head.

"This means either I have some serious insanity running through my veins or The Devil has been bumping off my family for centuries. _Both_ sides of my family have been affected by the same curse. My dad's family is the same. Early deaths and one child. I'm the last of both lines!" She said frantically. Edward moved quickly to take her into his arms.

"Shhhh, it's okay. We'll figure it out." Edward spoke softly, hoping to calm the girl in his arms.

"Don't you understand?" Bella exclaimed, pulling slightly away from him. "Either insanity and terrible luck runs in my blood or my grandmother Swan was really there in your basement, trying to warn me about something coming for me!" Edward's heart broke as her tears began to flow. He was at a loss for how to soothe her other than offering the comfort of his embrace.

 **~~TDP~~**

"As you can see, Sire, the prophecy leaves no room for debate. For you to fulfill your wish, the Swan must freely lay with you." Aro took one step back as he delivered his message. Satan was too angry with the man's words to notice that he'd moved out of arm's reach.

"You dare to come to me with nothing?" Satan's deep baritone voice filled the chamber. Astarte began to back up but Ba'al grabbed her arm, stopping her movement. He shook his head and pulled her back to stand beside him at their master's side. He could tell she was frightened. Hell, he was terrified but knew that it would be unwise to show their fear. Besides, he had good news. Or at least better news than poor Aro. Ba'al looked over to the shaking man. Such a waste, he thought. Satan should be using the prophet's God given talent to furthering their cause instead of punishing him when he couldn't find the impossible. No one would be able to find anything in the prophecy that Ba'al hadn't already discovered.

"Sire, forgive the interruption," Ba'al said, humbly as Satan turned his fiery gaze from Aro to him and the quivering Astarte. "I have good news that will make that part of the prophecy a moot point."

"You dare to interrupt?!" Ba'al bowed his head as Satan roared with anger.

"Sire, you will not need to worry about that clause." When Satan didn't order his head to be removed or his bones ground to dust, Ba'al dared to lift his head and faced his angry lord. "The Swan is enamored with your vessel. From what I have learned from being amongst Earth children, the desire to mate with their partners is very strong. You will only need to ask and the Swan will be yours." Ba'al smiled smugly at Aro, who looked as if he were ready to run or vomit, or possibly both.

They all stood in silence as Satan processed the information. He wasn't yelling or demanding anyone's skin to be flayed from their bodies, which to Ba'al meant he was pleased. Ba'al was just about to congratulate himself when Satan appeared directly in front of him. Ba'al was taken off guard and stumbled back before quickly regaining his footing.

"Have you forgotten that I must be **IN** my vessel **BEFORE I CAN TAKE THE SWAN?** And right now my vessel is in a **good fucking mood!** Making the opportunity to take possession a lot less likely!" His foul breath washed over the two demigods. To their credit they were able to maintain their upright positions, but not without great effort.

"Please, sire, we have a plan." Ba'al pleaded, looking at the silent Astarte for confirmation. She remained silent, much to his dismay. Satan, perhaps sensing easy prey, turned his anger to her.

"A plan?" he asked, sarcastically. "You two _always_ have a plan. And I have yet to see one end in an achievement! I'm becoming tired of your plans!"

"Yes, I will freely admit that things have not progressed as much as we would have liked but Astarte has been working on the brother to put pressure on the vessel and-"

"And what? You turn brother against brother in the hopes that my vessel will grow despondent. Does he appear despondent?!" Satan snapped his fingers and a vision of Edward and Bella kissing in her bedroom appeared before them. "Tell me Astarte, does he look hopeless?" Astarte quickly shook her head.

"Ba'al, does he look depressed? Downhearted?" Ba'al opened his mouth to offer an explanation but was cut off by his master.

"Enough!" Satan yelled. "I will take care of this myself. If I wasn't going to need you two worthless pieces of refuse when I'm down there, I would end you both now!" His threat caused them both to gulp loudly.

"You two will return and maintain your personas. _**I**_ will handle my vessel." Satan turned his back, summarily dismissing them. Astarte wasted no time and rushed from the room, Ba'al followed at a reasonable pace, passing Aro's still bowed form with his head held high. He refused to show how much Satan's words had shaken him. Satan's threat had hit him hard. He wouldn't allow himself to think about what would happen to him if Satan had no use for his services. Ba'al picked up his pace and rushed to join Astarte. They needed to return to Earth immediately and despite Satan's announcement that he would take care of Edward, Ba'al vowed to keep working towards his original goal. He would continue to strengthen his connection with Alice and try to become Edward's ally. Ba'al would make sure that when the time came for rewards, he would not be left out.

* * *

 **Wow, Satan sure is in a mood! Any guesses to why he's throwing such a hissy fit? What do you think of Bella and Edward's discoveries? Did they clear anything up for you or just muddy the waters a bit more?**

 **Please consider leaving a review and giving me your thoughts.**

 **Until next time,**

 **ruinedbyrob**


	20. Chapter 20

Let me simply say that I'm sorry for the delay in updating, however you need to know that until I'm completely healthy, I can't promise quicker updates. Hopefully healing will come quickly and everything will get right back on track. Please know that your support really fuels my desire to keep going.

I've been a total fail at responding to your reviews, but I read every single one of them and they make me so happy. Please continue to share your thoughts.

Once again I couldn't get this to you without the help of my pre-reader, Sazzledazzled and beta, Edwardsfirstkiss. I want to thank them for all of their unwavering support and advice.

SM owns Twilight but this Devil is all mine.

* * *

 **The Devil's Plan**

 **Chapter 20**

 ** _Brewing Storm_**

"Have you and Emmett been able to get past what happened?" Edward had just finished giving Felix the story behind the Thanksgiving fight.

"I have," Edward said with sincerity. "but I don't think he has."

"Have you two spoken about it?"

"No. I'm gone a lot and when we are home together, we just ignore each other."

"You said you're gone a lot. Did you get a job, or take on a new hobby I'm unaware of?" Felix asked.

"No, um, actually I've been over at Bella's house all of the time." Edward answered.

Felix didn't miss the smile that appeared on his young patient's face. "I take it that relationship is going well?"

Edward nodded as his smile grew wider. "She's amazing."

"It feels good to have a partner that understands and accepts you."

"Yes." Edward agreed. "I just wish that I could do more to help her." Felix noticed the change in Edward's voice and the concern that shown in his face.

"Is Bella experiencing a problem at home?" Felix's therapist sense started to tingle.

"Not exactly." Edward wanted to speak to Felix about what he and Bella had found in the book. But how to tell him and how much to tell him was the problem. Would Felix even believe him?

"She um, found out something and we're trying to figure out what to do about it.," Edward said, inwardly giving himself a pat on the back for keeping his answer fairly ambiguous.

Felix's gaze drifted quickly to Edward's face. But the young man wasn't giving anything away. "I see. Is it a health issue? Perhaps your father could help or there are clinics she could-"

"She's not pregnant!" Edward blurted out. Of course, that's what Felix would think. His history with Tanya already proven that he wasn't very smart when it came to protection. Still, he felt the need for his therapist to know that he had learned from his mistakes.

Edward lowered his voice and looked at the floor as he uttered his next statement. "We aren't having sex."

"You don't look very happy with that decision." Felix answered in an even and non-judgmental tone.

"Um, it was actually my decision. Bella isn't happy about it." Edward rubbed the back of his neck. "Actually, she's kind of ticked off."

"I think that not rushing into a physical relationship is a good idea for any new couple." Edward smiled at the statement he was sure therapists were required to give to all of their teen patients.

"I want to be with her, you know in that way. But I want it to mean something and I want us both to be present when it happens. You know?"

"Actually, I'm not sure I do."

Edward sighed as he gave voice to the memories. "With Tanya, it was more like a lesson. She told me what to do, and showed me how to do it. Sure, it felt good," Edward said with a slight frown on his face. Felix stayed quiet, not wanting to risk making the young man feel anxious about what he was revealing. This was the first time Edward had opened up about the physical elements of his relationship with Tanya. "but I think there's supposed to be more. I _feel_ more just kissing Bella than I ever did having sex with Tanya. Does that make sense?"

Felix nodded. "It makes perfect sense. Furthermore, it speaks volumes regarding your feelings for Bella. May I inquire as to what it is the two of you are trying to figure out?" The smile Edward had been sporting slowly disappeared. How did you just blurt out that it appeared the Devil had been bumping off Bella's family? After the events at the Halloween party Edward had found himself questioning his own feelings regarding religion. His parents had urged him to look to less supernatural explanations, but as yet, he hadn't come up with anything. In truth, he'd managed to push that night to the back of his mind while he dealt with the ongoing problems within his own family. However, since his feelings for Bella had grown exponentially, he could no longer ignore the effects that night had on her.

"Edward, if Bella is in trouble, I can help." Edward glanced at his therapist. He recognized Felix's statement as the go-to statement for counselors and therapists alike, but since getting to know Felix, he felt that the man's offer was sincere. However, he was unwilling to spill her secrets. Especially when he hadn't the first clue how to tell someone that apparently the Devil was bumping off his girlfriend's ancestors for some unknown reason and that said girlfriend had come to believe that her dead grandmother warned her that the evil one was now after her.

"Thank you, it's just some family thing." Edward answered with a small smile that he hoped looked convincing.

"Okay, but the offer stands if you need me. So, other than Emmett and worrying about Bella, is there anything else you'd like to discuss?" Felix's eyes darted to the clock that resided on the wall behind the couch Edward was sitting on. It was the doctor's nonchalant way of letting him know their time was almost up.

"There is one thing," Edward said, looking up to meet Felix's waiting gaze. "It's been almost twelve months since…" Edward's voice trailed off as his mind wondered to a scenario that would have been his reality if Tanya had made a different choice.

Felix knew immediately what was troubling Edward and quickly moved to assuage the guilt that was building in the boy's eyes. "Tanya made that decision and forced everyone to live with the repercussions. There's no reason to feel guilty."

"But I do." Edward insisted. "No one ever talks about it. But the baby was real. And it would be here by now if she hadn't made that choice," Edward said with sadness. "I would be a father." He added in a whisper.

Felix put down his notebook and leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, mimicking Edward's position. "Have you told Bella about-"

"No." Edward interrupted. "She's already accepted so much of my past, I was afraid telling her about the baby would push her over the limit."

"What about your parents?"

"The last thing they want to remember is that their youngest son was almost a teen father." Edward scoffed.

"I'm willing to listen. I can offer an objective ear but I won't listen to you wallow in guilt that you don't deserve."

"That's not much help." Edward mocked. Felix, shrugged his shoulders as if to say, take it or leave it.

"Maybe it's enough that you remember? There's nothing you can do to change what's already occurred, but as long as the memory lives within you then you're doing all you can to atone for what happened." Edward pondered Felix's statement.

"Do you believe that?"

"Edward, there is no doubt in my mind that you are a good person and the fact that you carry the memory of your unborn child in your heart, is enough."

 **~~TDP~~**

"How about passing your old man another chunk of that delicious cornbread? Bella? Bella, honey, did you hear me?"

"What?" Bella blinked at her father, trying to focus on what he'd said. "Cornbread, right?" Charlie nodded as she passed him the plate laden with the golden squares of sweet cornbread.

Charlie took the plate and set it aside. "What's going on?" He asked.

"Nothing." Bella answered, getting up from the table and proceeded to scrape her bowl of half- eaten chili into the wastebasket. Such a waste, she thought. These are the times she really wished they had a dog.

Charlie dusted the crumbs off his moustache and fixed his daughter with a fatherly stare. "Don't tell me there's nothing wrong. You've been quiet all week and your grandmother's chili is the one meal you eat two helpings of and tonight you barely ate any. I'll ask again, what's going on?"

Bella placed her bowl in the sink and turned to face her father. Her eyebrows furrowed in thought as she attempted to put her thoughts together. "It's just been a really long week. I'm tired." She finally said with a shrug.

Charlie eyed his daughter suspiciously. "A long week, huh? I noticed that Edward hasn't been over much these past few days. Where has he been? "

Leave it to her father to notice her boyfriend's absence. Any other dad would jump for joy to come home and not find his daughter making out with her boyfriend. But not Charlie. His first instinct is to think that something was wrong. Unfortunately, this time he might be right. The weeks following their discoveries in her family bible, had been so busy with schoolwork, she and Edward barely had time to breathe much less do any more research, yet they'd still found time to for each other. At least until a couple of nights ago. She'd been over at the Cullen's house, helping Esme put up some Christmas decorations. Edward had been lugging boxes up from the basement for a good hour when Esme found the box that contained the boy's baby ornaments. She hadn't missed the look that had passed from mother to son when Esme lifted out a red bulb with silver and green adornments. Bella could clearly see the word's _"Baby's First Christmas"_ printed across the front. Edward had quickly lowered his head and began fiddling with the strings of lights. Esme appeared to wipe a tear from her eye before placing the glass bulb back into the box. Bella didn't say anything when Esme scooted the whole box aside and opened another one. The jovial atmosphere of only moments before had disappeared. Bella knew it had something to do with the ornament. Maybe Esme had miscarried a child? She'd all but decided to ask Edward about it later but the opportunity hadn't come up. Emmett had arrived with Rosalie in tow and that was Bella's excuse to leave. She had expected Edward to follow her, but he'd complained of a headache. As he kissed her lightly before walking her to her car, she could see that he was in pain but didn't believe it was because of a headache.

"With finals and Christmas coming up, he's just been busy." Charlie nodded in understanding.

"I know this is totally a _dad_ thing to say, but I'm proud that you both are making academics a priority. I know all too well how easy it is to allow your social life to push everything else out of the way. But, baby, I want you to get more rest." Bella smiled and nodded at his observation. She'd been unable to hide the dark circles under her eyes. But she didn't tell him that those dark half-moons under her eyes had nothing to do with excessive studying but were a direct correlation to the nightmares she'd been having for the past week. She hadn't even told Edward about the vivid and horrifying dreams that he, or someone that looked like him but acted totally contrary to the way she knew Edward would act.

"I promise to sleep more. In fact, I think I'll go up now and go to bed."

"You do that, sweetheart." Charlie watched his beautiful girl practically drag herself up the stairs, vowing to himself to be more observant of her health.

Bella entered her room, her eyes going directly to what had become a book with more questions than answers. Ignoring the pages of writing staring up at her, she grabbed her kindle and bathrobe and headed to the bathroom. It had been far too long since she'd indulged in a bubble bath and a long soak in sudsy bliss sounded like heaven to her. The warm haze surrounded her as she climbed into the large tub. Bella leaned back into the fluffy towel she'd folded into a makeshift pillow and closed her eyes, allowing the lavender scented bubbles soothe her weary senses. As her body relaxed, Bella fell prey to the relaxing atmosphere and closed her eyes. Before long, she'd slipped into a relaxed state and she began to dream.

Behind closed lids her mind began to weave a colorful tale. She saw Edward smiling at her as they walked hand in hand towards a clearing in the woods. Bella loved this part of the dream. She and Edward would come upon a blanket set amongst the bright background of colorful wildflowers. They would sit and eat the picnic that she had provided. Before long, their hand holding would give way to more intimate touching. It was at this point in the dream where she would fall deeper into the fantasy. Her legs would become restless as Dreamward's fingers ghosted up her sun-heated flesh, her breathing would accelerate as his kisses turned deeper and his hands more insistent. Although her body was deeply engaged with the fantasy make- out session, her mind was starting to play tricks on her. Small changes were becoming evident. The sky would turn dark as if a solar eclipse had swallowed the sun. The blanket they were laying on would become hard as stone, scratching her shoulders and back. The wildflowers would disappear only to be replaced with tiki torches casting a harsh light over the area. And the sounds of the birds and wildlife would cease completely. As her fantasy changed, so did Bella's reactions. Her movements were now jolting and harsh as were Edward's touches. It felt to her that he was trying to hold her down, forcing her to accept his now harsh touch. The sounds of her gasps filled the small room, her movements causing the water to ripple and spill over the tub's edge onto the tiled floor as she fought what she knew was coming; the change. As she fought off the sudden feeling of dread, she would look to Edward for help but even though the figure looked like Edward, it wasn't him. Bella recoiled as Edward's vibrant green eyes turned cold and hard, his face would become sharp and angular causing him to appear carved from stone. As Bella struggled, she could hear voices chanting from somewhere behind her but non-Edward's grip held her in place, not allowing her to see who it was. Amongst the chanting a lone voice would gain in volume. She recognized that voice as her mother begging her to fight and not give in as the cries of a baby joined the chorus. DreamBella screamed for her mother and struggled harder against _non-Edward's_ grip until her mind let go and she woke with a start. Her gasps echoing harshly in the room.

Bella's eyes adjusted to the bright glare of the overhead light and leaned over the side of the tub. When she saw her discarded robe, and the puddled water, she realized she'd had another dream. Bella rubbed her face with shaking hands, flinching slightly when the cool bathwater contacted her heated face. She pulled the plug and dried off. As usual the dream had wreaked havoc with her senses and she had to hold tightly to the edge of the sink as she regained her balance. After several moments, she was able to stand without assistance and finish getting ready for bed. Thankfully, her nightmare made only one appearance a night. Bella tucked herself into bed and turned out the light, leaving only the moon's pale beams to cast their shadows over her room. Bella always felt a sense of foreboding after experiencing the dream. It seemed to cast a dark and scary shadow over her relationship with Edward but she refused to take the vision at face value. She'd never been happier and the changes in Edward since they'd started their relationship bespoke of the same feelings for him.

There had to be another explanation. Her eyes darted to the book laying on her floor. The dreams hadn't started until she had begun poking around in there. Exhausted, Bella easily slipped easily into sleep. Her mind was awash in questions, but the answers would have to wait.

 **~~TDP~~**

"I know it's rude for me to say this, but girl, you look awful." Bella chuckled darkly at Angela's comment. She did look terrible, but she didn't feel as worn out as her appearance portrayed. After her nap in the bath, she was able to sleep soundly with no more dreams.

"I'm just tired. Thanks for noticing." Bella kidded.

"I get it. Finals are kicking my butt too." Angela added.

"Ladies, how are you both this fine day?" Ben asked as he took the seat across from Angela. Bella noted with amusement that the pair shared a lingering look. She was just about to comment when Edward appeared beside her.

"Hi," he said softly into her ear. "I missed you." Bella couldn't help but shiver as his whispered words cascaded over her skin.

"I missed you too." She readily admitted, leaning her head onto his shoulder.

"You look tired. Are you okay?" Edward's brow furrowed in concern.

Bella sighed, "I've been studying a lot and trying to figure out what that book means…" Her voice faltered as he nodded in silent understanding.

"Um, I haven't been around much to help with that. I'm sorry," Edward said, lowering his head. "I've been, um, dealing with something." He swallowed quickly, forcing down the words that would be better suited for when they were alone.

Bella moved her head from his shoulder and looked at the boy sitting next to her. She'd been so wrapped up in her own world that she hadn't taken a good look at him. The dark circles that everyone from her father to Angela felt compelled to comment on, were also evident on his pale face.

"We're quite the pair." She joked, hoping to lighten the mood. It would serve no one for them to both wallow in whatever it was that was haunting them.

"I guess the old saying that misery loves company applies to us." He chuckled.

Bella pulled back to look at him. "I'm not miserable," she said, shaking her head. "tired, burned out from studying, stressed over the holidays and really freaking confused over that stupid book and the nightmares but…"

"Nightmares? What nightmares?" Edward asked, his voice slightly elevated. "Why didn't you tell me?" His first real girlfriend needed him and he'd already failed her.

"It's nothing. You've been busy, and they just started a week or so ago," she said, trying to sound casual, not meaning to cause him anymore worry than was already do evident on his face.

"Bella, please tell me. I want to be there for you."

The bell rang signaling the end of their lunch period. Bella stood up and began gathering her mostly uneaten lunch to throw away when Edward took a hold of her hand.

"Promise you'll tell me after school?" His green eyes shown with concern.

"I promise." She said quickly before leaning down to place a lingering kiss on his waiting lips. Whatever she was going through had not diminished her feelings for him and she wanted him to know that. "But you have to come clean with me too." She added quickly.

Edward sighed, but nodded his head in acceptance of her gentle demand. He knew that he owed her an explanation. Especially after the Christmas decoration debacle. Watching his mother pick up his baby ornament and then remembering that his own child should have been celebrating its first Christmas next week had been too much for him. When he saw the same realization in his mother's eyes, it took all he had to not break down in front of Bella. For once his brother's presence served a purpose. Sadness enveloped him as he'd walked Bella to the door. He knew that she had sensed something was wrong but was eternally grateful when she didn't say anything.

"Okay." He promised, gripping her hand tightly as they walked towards their next class.

 **~~TDP~~**

"This is maddening!" Astarte exclaimed, throwing her school books to the floor in a heap at Ba'al's feet. "I understand that we must attend this daily torture in order to perpetuate the belief that we're _teenagers_ ," she sneered the word as if it were an ugly stain on her favorite frock. "But why in holy hell must we actually participate in these _finals_?" Ba'al lifted his eyes from the world history book he'd been reading and looked at his partner. She'd never been what one would term as scholarly. As a demi-goddess, she had been more concerned with being the prettiest in the lands and the young men who had entered her temple for prayer and devotion to her goddess. Ba'al had often interacted with his people, learning their tales and histories. As a demi-god, the only history that he had to be acquainted with was his own. But he found listening to their tales and learning their ways interesting and it helped to pass the time.

"If you didn't take these tests, how would you explain it to the man-child?" He raised an eyebrow in question.

Astarte narrowed her eyes. "He doesn't question me. Unlike your little Alice." She taunted. Alice had indeed been asking more questions lately. She wanted to meet the humans that were acting as their guardians, and had begun asking questions regarding his past, no longer content with his answer of, "I'm from down south". In fact, her questioning had become even more of a nuisance since they'd become more intimate. Ba'al's sexual tastes had never ventured toward virgins. But he had to admit a certain fondness for Alice's shy and tentative touches. He especially enjoyed her blush. He couldn't recall even one of his pasts partners blushing as he used his tongue and fingers on them. Nor did he recall them displaying a keen eagerness to use their fingers and tongues on him. Foreplay was a new concept for him. One he would admit that he enjoyed very much.

"Did you hear what I just said?" Astarte's increasingly grating voice broke through his momentary lapse.

"What do you want?" He asked sharply, growing tired of her harping. They both had roles to play, and he was becoming increasingly irritated with her constant questioning.

"I asked what preparations do we need to make for Saturnalia?"

"Here, that's called Christmas." Ba'al scoffed.

"Whatever it's called _here_ , what else do we need to do? I want nothing more than to have our Master pleased and to be done with this disgusting business once and for all." Astarte's voice lost a bit of its normal venom towards the end of her statement. Ba'al looked at her surprise.

"I agree but, why the sudden change of heart?" Astarte looked away at his words, sighing heavily.

She turned back to look at him, her normal icy stare appeared somewhat dimmed as she spoke. "Ba'al, as much as I want to be free of that prison, even to live as a human, I cannot lie and say that what we are helping that monster achieve doesn't lay heavily within my own darkened soul." She paused, to walk towards his unmade bed, perching herself unceremoniously onto the edge. "I'm turning brother against brother, I will have a part in the taking of that child and you know full well how much the very thought of such things burn in me." Ba'al nodded solemnly at her words. As a goddess she fiercely defended a woman's right to choose a lover, routinely exacting revenge on behalf of a wronged woman. He put his book down and joined her on the bed, putting his arm around her and gently pulling her pliant body into his.

"I understand." He whispered gently.

"I think I'm developing feelings for Emmett. And I don't want to use him to hurt the _boy_ anymore. It's no longer fun." Ba'al stifled a laugh at her admission. Leave it to Astarte to decide that she wanted to quit a course of action because it was no longer "fun". Normally he would chide her for developing feelings for these human pawns, but he found himself with more sympathy and understanding of her plight than he wanted to admit.

"We are at an impossible end. Our eternity hangs on the plot that we have begun, finds a satisfactory conclusion," he said, pausing to rub his forehead in a very human manner. "I don't see a way for us to end our participation and not forfeit our souls to eternal damnation and torture." Astarte nodded solemnly at his statement.

"Perhaps we can find a way to make it appear we're helping without actually causing more damage than absolutely necessary to the humans?" Astarte's eyes darted to Ba'al's weary face.

He regarded her thoughtfully. "The pain that all humankind will suffer if the Devil's plan succeeds will far outweigh how we feel regarding our favored of their kind. However, perhaps we can attempt to lessen our involvement."

 **~~TDP~~**

"Edward, what are you looking at?" Esme asked, walking over to the window where her son was staring woefully out into the grey afternoon.

"Bella is coming over." He stated simply, continuing to stare out the window.

"Wonderful. It's always so nice to see her. She's such a lovely young lady. I'm so glad you two found each-"

"Mom, I'm going to tell her about the baby." Edward cringed as he watched the blood drain from his mother's face.

Esme sighed heavily. "Do you think that's necessary?" She asked quietly. The subject was never discussed within the family, yet she never forgot it either. Not as Edward's mother or as the grandparent she almost was. However, solely as Edward's mother, she hated thinking about the pain he would be opening himself up to with his admission.

Edward rested his forehead against the cool glass, he was afraid to face his mother lest she would be able to deter him from his course. "She deserves to know all of it. I want her to know everything."

Esme moved to her son, laying her head on his young shoulder. Shoulders that she'd watched bow under the weight that they seemed to carry. "I hope she can give you the support you deserve."

"I hope so too."

* * *

There's a storm coming and you should be hearing the warning sirens about now!

Until next time,

ruinedbyrob


	21. Chapter 21

I must have deleted and restarted this chapter three times. I couldn't convince myself that it was good enough for you guys, but Sazzledazzled and Edwardsfirstkiss have deemed it worthy. I trust them so here it is. *bites what's left of my nails and hits *publish*.

Much love to Sazzledazzled and Edwardsfirstkiss for pre-reading and editing this mess. They both deserve gold medals but it appears I'm fresh out. Instead I give them my undying gratitude.

SM owns Twilight but Devilward and his minions are mine. *laughs evilly while creepily rubbing hands together.*

* * *

 **The Devil's Plan**

Chapter 21

 ** _Choices Made_**

"Can I get you anything to drink or eat?" Edward asked, as he took Bella's coat to hang up in the hall closet. Bella shook her head 'no': and held out her hand for his. Even with the weight of what he was about to tell her weighing on his mind, he couldn't help but smile as he felt her warmth surround him.

"All I want is you." She didn't mean for her words to come out so overtly sexual but then again, it wasn't a lie. His presence had rapidly become an anchor in her life, tethering her to the ground when visions of her dreams threatened to pull her under. Edward's green eyes flashed quickly with what she hoped was a shared feeling. She wanted to be everything to him too.

"You have me." He promised with a small smile. Without another word, he proceeded to walk her into the three season porch off the kitchen. Bella frowned as she realized this was the same room where he'd first told her about that _woman_. She understood it was Edward's story and he must feel comfortable in order to speak to her about it, but being back in the same room where he'd told her about his torrid affair with an older woman, made her anxious all the same.

Edward tugged her hand gently and guided her to sit beside him on the settee. It had begun to snow on her drive over and from the glass encased room there was nothing to obscure the view of the white flakes as they fell to the ground.

"It's kind of beautiful isn't it?" He asked staring out onto the yard and the woods beyond. The falling snow wasn't thick enough to cover the lush lushness of the evergreen trees but she had to admit the contrast of the white over the green was beautiful.

"It is." She agreed. The silence stretched between them as they continued to watch the flakes fall.

"I like watching the snow fall. I find it soothing somehow. It's as if the snow covers all the faults in the world. For instance, you can't tell that Kodi went on a puppy rampage the other day and dug up a bunch of mom's flowers leaving puppy sized holes all along the fence line." Edward pointed out into the yard, where indeed the snow had covered the evidence of the chubby little guy's crime. "I think that the snow makes everything fresh and pure again. Even if it's only for a little while." Edward's voice fell off and Bella watched him close his eyes as he took several deep breaths. She realized that he was hoping the snow would somehow cover up his perceived crimes as well. She wanted to rush to his defense and make him admit that he was a victim and had no wrongdoings to cover up, instead she wisely kept silent, knowing that he needed to come to that realization himself.

Finally, Edward broke the silence. "I didn't tell you all of my story." Bella nodded, remembering that night he'd said he wasn't ready to tell her the rest.

"I'm guessing that the rest isn't very good?" She asked quietly, her eyes dark with sympathy.

"Good? No. It's not good. It's horrible and I feel as though part of my soul is eternally blackened because of it." His statement shocked Bella.

"Edward, no matter what you're about to tell me, you're a good person and your soul is not in jeopardy. She assured him with a squeeze of his hand. He looked up at her, his eyes dark with what she could only guess was guilt and despair.

"Do you really believe that?" He asked in a quiet voice.

Bella leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on his temple. "Yes. I really believe that." She whispered, leaning her head into his shoulder, hoping he could feel her sincerity through her heated skin.

Edward took several deep breaths, attempting to bolster his courage before beginning his tale.

"No one knew about the affair. I mean, we didn't slip up with our text messaging or were seen together in compromising positions. No one knew anything. Not mom, dad, Emmett…And then suddenly she called me and told me it was over. I was devastated." Bella mashed her lips together in an effort to not interrupt to tell him Tanya was good riddance to bad garbage.

"I pleaded with her to not do it. To not throw me away. I loved her, or at least I thought it was love," he said, pausing to take a deep breathe which he let out slowly and deliberately. Bella recognized it as what some people would call a calming breathe. In Edward's case it was the calm before the storm.

"I cried, I yelled…nothing would change her mind. She was so cold. The way she did it. She broke my heart with three words, 'I'm done, Edward.' Three words delivered in the coldest voice I'd ever heard anyone use. And then I heard nothing more from her. I stopped eating. I wasn't sleeping. I was like a zombie just going through the motions of living for almost two months before the bottom fell out." Bella sensed from the sudden rigidness of his body that the secret was about to be spilled. She reached out and took his other hand, encasing both of his cold limbs in her warmth. He kept his eyes down and away from her but he squeezed her hand in appreciation.

"My dad was on duty the night she came in to the ER." Edward paused to take a deep breath. Bella could practically feel the anxiety flow through his body as he drudged up the memories.

"When the nurses recognized her name, they called her husband, but he was in surgery so they called dad. He told me that she was barely conscious. Her skin was ice cold but she had a high fever and was vomiting. My dad diagnosed her with sepsis and immediately called for Marcus, but he wouldn't return my dad's page. They were able to get her stabilized and then started to look for the cause of her sickness. After examining her they found the cause, an infection." Edward paused to take another deep breath. After exhaling, he looked deep into Bella's eyes. "She'd had an abortion," Edward said, his voice shaking with emotion. "she aborted my baby before I even knew it existed!"

The sound of Bella's gasp echoed in the glass encased room but was quickly overtaken by Edward's sobs. Bella thought back to the timeline of the affair and quickly did the math in her head. "This would have been your baby's first Christmas." She said in a whisper. Edward nodded silently as he bent over in grief. Bella quickly moved to embrace him, putting her arms around his shaking body and laying her head on his back.

"I knew something was wrong that day," she said as tears rolled from her eyes onto his t-shirt. Her thoughts were muddled as she tried to wrap her head around the thought that the boy sobbing in her arms was almost a teen father. Bella's body trembled with feelings of profound compassion and concern for Edward as they warred with feelings of disgust and loathing for Tanya.

They continued in this manner for several minutes. Finally, Edward pulled away from her. She mirrored his motion as he wiped the tears from his face.

"What a mess right?" He asked with a sad smile that Bella immediately returned.

"I'm so sorry you went through that. It must have been horrible."

"It was but then it got worse." He turned to stare out the window, noticing that the snow had begun to slow down. By morning there would be hardly any evidence of its existence. The warmer daytime temperatures would erase the snow's pristine beauty, leaving ugly grey slush in its place, he thought absently.

"Worse? How?" Bella asked, turning his attention back to her.

"After word got around the hospital that the chief's wife was in the ER from a botched abortion, things kind of snowballed from there. Marcus finally came to the ER, where my dad was still overseeing Tanya's care. He was obviously worried, but when he saw the chart, he started screaming obscenities, calling her a whore and all kinds of terrible names. My dad tried to calm him, but Marcus was livid. Evidently, he'd had a vasectomy after Alec was born. He knew the baby she'd aborted wasn't his. He stormed out of the ER proclaiming to everyone that she'd better hope her lover was going to take her in because she wasn't his problem anymore. I remember my dad coming home that night and talking to my mom in his office. I was still barely existing after Tanya dumped me so I didn't even bother to ask what was wrong. I was so tied up in my own problems…The next night dad and mom called Emmett and me into his office. They explained that Tanya was very sick and was going to be staying with us while she recuperated. They didn't tell us what was wrong with her and I didn't ask. I was caught up in thinking that her being stuck in the house would give me the chance to win her back. I would take care of her and she would fall back in love with me." Edward paused and looked at Bella. "Pathetic. Right?"

"No, I think that just shows how passionate you were about her." Bella said sincerely, looking him straight in the eyes. Their gaze held for several moments until Edward's lips turned upward into a small smile.

"Anyway," he said, breaking their connection. "I went to school that next day with a smile on my face. In my head I was planning to stop at the grocery store and pick up all of her favorite snacks and a few movies that she could watch while she recovered. And I did just that three days later when dad said she was coming home. I even grabbed one of those flower bouquets they always have at the checkout. Because of my stop, I was late coming home. Mom and dad were already home with Tanya. I quickly put the snacks onto a tray with the movies and put the flowers into a vase and began walking up to her room. I wasn't concerned with what my parents would think about the tray full of goodies I was carrying, they've always preached to us kids to be gracious hosts and to go the extra mile for guests. They would just think I was being a good host to a dear family friend. I could hear mom and dad talking in the office as I passed them on my way up to the guest room, so I picked up my pace hoping they would stay there and give me time to talk to her." Edward got up from the couch, Bella felt his absence as he moved to stand in front of her.

He looked nervously around the room before settling his gaze back on Bella. "I walked into the room and almost vomited on my mom's wool carpet. Tanya looked absolutely awful. She was so pale, that her skin had a blue hue to it from her veins being so prominent. I guess from the dehydration." He added quietly. "Her eyes were blood shot and were rimmed with dark circles. Even her hair looked unhealthy. I've never seen someone look so close to death yet, still be breathing." Bella looked on as Edward's expression changed; he had a haunted, faraway look in his eyes. She guessed that his memories were taking him deeper into the past and the hurt that still dwelled there.

"She was asleep but moving erratically as if her extremities were being poked with hot pokers. I rushed over to her, reaching down and put a hand on her shoulder. I guess it startled her, because she woke up with a start. Bella," he said in a low voice. "When she saw me, I'd never seen a person's eyes look so dead. There was absolutely no light in her eyes. I reached out to comfort her, but as soon as I touched her she moved away from me and began yelling," he whispered with profound sadness. Bella wanted to go to him but worried that he needed to get through the rest of the story without distraction. Instead, she settled onto the settee and swiped at the tears slowly running down her cheeks.

Edward's shoulders bowed as he leaned heavily into the window. "Do you want to guess what she was screaming?" He asked, not waiting to her my answer before answering his own question. "She started yelling hysterically that it was all my fault and I'd ruined her life. I didn't know what to do. I tried to calm her down. I told her that I loved her and that just made things worse. Before I could do anything, my parents burst into the room to find Tanya screaming that it was all my fault and that I had ruined her life and me saying that I loved her. I couldn't have chosen a worse way for them to find out about our relationship. Before I could process what exactly was going on, heard my mom exclaim, 'It was Edward?!' Mom's exclamation startled us and we both turned to see my parents standing at the door.

My dad demanded an explanation, Tanya stopped yelling at me and started sobbing again. Mom was screaming at Tanya, asking her how she could have done that to me, how she could have done that to her family and then she started saying that Tanya was a child abuser. Tanya's sobs got louder and before we knew what was going on, mom launched herself at Tanya. I threw myself between them, pleading for them to understand that we were in love. But my words only seemed to enrage mom and she fought harder to get to Tanya. Dad was finally able to pull her back but not before her nails found my face. My yelp of pain stopped my mother's attack. She pulled me into her arms, telling me how sorry she was and that Tanya would pay for what she had done to me, I pulled away from her and defended Tanya's and my relationship, which made things worse. My dad got a hold of mom, who was now sobbing and ordered me from the room. I of course was defiant and determined to defend the woman I loved. At least I was until Tanya yelled at me to leave her alone as she pushed me away. I was dumbfounded. I couldn't understand why she was rejecting me. My parents knew about us, the hard part was over. I stupidly tried to reason with her but she ignored me.

Tanya turned her back to me, refusing to even look at me. Dad told me to leave again and I did. I left the room in a haze of rejection and frustration. I went to my room and sat down on the edge of my bed, I felt so lost. I don't know how long I sat there, just staring at the carpet and feeling sorry for myself. I guess my dad must have shut the door to the guest room because everything was muffled for what seemed like forever until my parents came out and started down the stairs. I could hear the sounds of mom's sobbing and dad trying to comfort her as they walked down the hallway. I don't know how long I sat there it must have been several hours because when my dad came into my room it was much darker than it had been when I'd first come in." Edward stopped and turned towards the couch, catching Bella's eyes. They were rimmed red with held back emotion and pain. It made Bella ache for him even more.

"If you would have seen my dad's face…I've never seen him look like that…he looked as if he didn't even recognize me. To his credit he didn't yell, not at first. He just asked these obligatory questions, how, why, when and then he wanted to know if I understood what I'd done. I guess my silence wasn't the answer he was looking for because he then got in my face and asked if I understood how my selfish actions had just torn a family apart and nearly killed Tanya. I tried to tell him that we were in love and hadn't meant to hurt anyone when what he said finally clicked into place. I asked him what he meant by Tanya nearly dying. He shook his head and asked me what I thought getting an abortion at her age would do to her. He went on to further explain because of who her husband was, she couldn't risk going to any of the local hospitals or bigger clinics. She ended up driving to Snoqualmie, where she found a free clinic that had never heard of the infamous Dr. Marcus Denali. But something didn't go right and she developed an infection which grew to become septic. It's kind of ironic isn't it?" He asked sarcastically. "She was married to one of the most revered physicians in the state and a family friend of the number two doctor in the state, but she couldn't go to either of them for help. Instead, she fought it on her own before collapsing at her hairdressers and was brought in by ambulance."

"as soon as dad said the word abortion, it hit me. She wasn't just sick as I'd stupidly allowed myself to believe. She had blood poisoning from an abortion. An abortion she'd gotten to end her pregnancy with _my child_. I was a father for nearly ten weeks and didn't even know it."

"Oh Edward, I'm so sorry." Bella exclaimed, pulling him into her arms. Edward collapsed easily into her embrace. They stood together in shared comfort for several minutes.

"I know how you feel about teens being parents, but I would have loved that baby and done everything I could to be a good parent," he said in a muffled voice.

His statement took Bella by surprise, she didn't remember them ever having a conversation regarding teen parents. Though, she wasn't a proponent of teens becoming parents, she mourned along with the boy in her arms for the child he lost.

After several minutes, they pulled apart, both hastily wiping away their tears.

"That's why you moved here?" Bella said. Edward nodded, warily.

"Everyone in the hospital already knew that the newly appointed Chief of Staff's wife had an affair and an abortion, but when they found out that the father was the seventeen-year old son of the soon-to-be Chief of Surgery, then a big scandal erupted like a volcano. It seemed as if everyone in Seattle knew what had happened. As soon as Tanya could walk under her own power, my parents threw her out of our house, her sister came down from Vancouver and picked her up. Her husband had already filed for divorce and banned her from their house. I heard that he'd gone on a rampage, throwing all of her things out onto their yard, he froze all of her credit card and closed their bank accounts, making Tanya essentially homeless and penniless. Her son, Alec, wouldn't speak to her or Emmett. They'd been best friends practically since birth, eventually Alec forgave Emmett for having me as a brother and of course Emmett sided with him, but the relationship between mother and son were still strained. To my knowledge he never called the house once to find out if she was okay." Edward dipped his head low as he thought about Tanya and Alec's broken relationship.

With a slight grimace and shake of his head he continued his story. "Dad had worked under Marcus for years and had worked tirelessly to get the chance to take over when Marcus became the Chief of Staff, they had been really close. They golfed together, we had a family barbecues at least once a month and they even consulted on each other's patients. Mom had often referred to Marcus as the brother that dad never had. And despite their close relationship after everything came out, Marcus wouldn't even look at dad. He wouldn't talk to him on the phone, ignoring dad at the hospital… Any thoughts of dad taking over as Chief of Surgery, were gone. Mom...she was hit the hardest. She blamed herself, claiming that if she'd been more attentive as a mom and less intent on being a career woman, I wouldn't have fallen under Tanya's spell. She and Tanya had been best friends, the feeling of betrayal also weighed heavily on mom, on everyone." He added with a sigh. Bella could easily see how much his mother's suffering weighed on him.

"Dad decided that the only solution was to move somewhere in which no one knew what had happened. Emmett was furious about moving. He didn't want to leave his friends, teammates…There were so many fights between him and my parents, over moving…I offered to be the one to leave. I begged them to send me to live with my grandma in Chicago. But mom was adamant that we would work through our problems as a family. So, we moved to Forks, where we would all get a clean slate," he paused, laughing darkly. "A clean slate! What a joke! Dad and Emmett hate it here and they've turned their anger toward me! We may have moved away from Seattle but the scandal didn't move away from us! I walked around this house feeling as if I'd single handedly destroyed everyone's life and they reminded me of how I'd fucked up at every chance. You saw it. That first night, when you had dinner with us."

"I remember." Bella offered quietly. She remembered how it surprised her as to what lengths Emmett would go to hurt his brother and how it seemed that his father was more than happy to chime in. The sadness on reflected in Edward's face as he saw her out to her car, haunted her for days. "Edward, couldn't they see what it did to you?"

The fire that had built up and spilled over into his previous comments seemed to lessen with his next sentence. "They could." He stated simply. "I know Emmett could. I don't think my dad meant to be so hurtful."

"Why do you think that? I mean, from what you've said, he put the whole blame on you. That woman should have been put in jail for what she did to you. Why didn't they press charges?" Bella had been wanting to press him for that answer since he'd first shared his story months ago. If a man had dared to abuse her the way Tanya had Edward, she knew that Charlie wouldn't have rested until that man was behind bars. Bella couldn't understand why Edward's parents hadn't fought for him.

Edward shook his head, holding up his hands to try to and calm her. "They wanted too, they even went to the police department but the age of consent in Washington State is sixteen-years-old. Since I was of age when the affair started they would have to prove that she'd forced me to have sex with her. She didn't force me and despite everything, I wasn't going to lie about that."

Bella sighed at his admission. Her anger was leveling off, but it concerned her that Edward seemed to take all the blame onto himself. "But Edward, she used you. You may have willingly engaged in the affair but-"

"I know what you're going to say." Edward interrupted. "And I agree with you. It's taken several therapy sessions for me to understand that, but I still could not allow Tanya to be imprisoned because of what _we_ had done, together."

"Even after aborting the baby without telling you it even existed?" Bella half whispered looking into his eyes and seeing the pain he still felt over his immense loss reflected in them.

Edward took several deep breaths, letting them out slowly. The tension in his shoulders slowly released with the calming breaths. "The loss of the baby, was difficult and I will always feel as if there is a piece of me missing because of what she did, but I can't deny that I had a part in what happened and she's paid a stiff price too." Bella huffed loudly at his last comment. Edward chuckled to himself at her action. He knew she was doing it out of love for him, but his time with Doctor Felix, had made him look at Tanya and what she too had lost with some sympathy.

"Did you get the chance to ask her why she had the abortion? Why she didn't tell you?"

"No. My parents guarded her door like she was a serial killer. I don't think she came out of that room once the whole time she stayed with us. I was, of course pretty much under house arrest. I didn't go anywhere without my mom or dad shadowing me. The last time I saw her, was from my parent's bedroom window as her sister helped her into a car. I never got the chance to tell her how sorry I was for everything."

"Good. She didn't deserve to hear your forgiveness."

"Bella, she lost her home, friends, family-from the conversations I've overheard between mom and Emmett, Alec still isn't speaking to her…she almost died." Edward reached out to hold Bella's hand, hoping she understood how much her support meant to him,

Bella pulled his hand to her lap, leaning in to touch his face softly. "Edward, that was her choice. She didn't give you one."

"Maybe I need to be grateful for what I've gained because of the choice she made?" Bella's eyes narrowed quizzically at his comment.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"If she hadn't made the choices she did, I would have never have found you." 

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Soooooo, are we all still on board? I hope so because the next chapter is already half written. :)  
Devilward is on the way! You didn't think that Edward was off the hook did you? Hahahahahahahaha!

Thank you all for reviewing. It means the world to me and I read every single one of them! Please continue letting me know what you think. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Until next time,

ruinedbyrob


	22. Chapter 22

**Here we are again. I'm so grateful for those of you that have stuck around this long. I truly appreciate your support.**

Much love to my pre-reader, Sazzledazzled and my beta, Edwardsfirstkiss. They donate their time and talent to this enterprise just like I do and I can't thank them enough.

SM owns Twilight and I own, well not much but I do have a Cullen crest belt buckle a friend found at a garage sale. I don't know what I'll do with it but it's mine!

* * *

The Devil's Plan

Chapter 22

 _Night Terrors_

Bella and Edward sat quietly side by side in the Cullen's sunroom watching the snow pile up outside. Each one in their own worlds as the heaviness of Edward's past swayed and dipped around them like weighty curtains caught in a strong breeze, never covering them completely, but reminding them it was there. Although they sat silently, their hands remained tightly clasped, neither wanting to let go of the other. Finally, as the sun began to set and night crept in to take its place, Edward realized that they hadn't discussed Bella's nightmares. Even though he was emotionally spent from his own admissions, he garnered his strength because he owed Bella. He owed her so much but tonight he would begin with listening and hopefully helping her solve what had made her so upset.

"Bella, would you please tell me about your nightmares?" Edward asked quietly, feeling her breath hitch at his question. He feared that she would say no, not wanting to burden him. It would be such a Bella thing to do he thought. But he was determined to be a full partner in their relationship. "Please," he pressed. "I want to help." Bella pulled away to look at the beautiful boy sitting beside her. She wanted so much to lean on him, demand that he put his arms around her and hide her from the darkness that kept finding her when she was at her most vulnerable. But as she looked into his tired eyes, her heart broke. He had already gone through so much, could she really add her problems to the pile?

"Please," he asked again, with more conviction. "It would mean so much to me to give something back to the person who has given me so much."

"I just listen." She reminded him, reaching out to softly trace the masculine arch of his eyebrows, hoping to ease the tension she could see building between his eyes. Edward reached up and removed her hand from his face, bringing it to his lips, gently kissing the back of her hand.

"You've done much more than just listen," he whispered, willing his voice not to waiver.

Bella's heart soared with his words. Growing up thinking that she hadn't been enough to make her mother want to stay with her had taken a chunk out of her self-esteem. She knew how much she meant to Charlie and would never deny that he made her feel loved, but Edward trusting her enough to bare his soul, especially since he'd felt as if his soul was permanently blackened by the affair, filled her heart with meaning.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"You're welcome." He answered. "Now, please let me help you." Edward encouraged her gently, while rubbing soothing circles on her back.

"I don't know where to start." She confessed.

"When did they start?" He asked.

"Soon after we started looking at the book. You remember the part where my ancestor claimed that the Devil was after her and her daughter?" Edward nodded, remembering the note added in the book by the woman's brother, a monk that had tried to help her.

"I found more entries like that one. In fact, I found a few my mother had added." Edward's eyes widened.

"Really?" He asked, leaning closer to her. He was surprised and a bit dismayed that she had kept this from him.

"Yeah, not a lot but it appears she was suffering from the same delusions that her ancestors were."

"What did she write?"

Bella licked her lips and glanced at Edward's face to reassure herself that he wasn't feigning interest to be nice. The sincerity reflected in his eyes was proof of his conviction.

"Basically, she was writing random notes about her own theories. It's kind of crazy. But she also thought there was a dark force working against her. She even went so far as to say that she was worried for my safety, for all of her childrens' safety."

"You're an only child. What did she mean by 'children'?"

"I have no idea," Bella said, shaking her head in bewilderment.

"What else did she say?"

"Um, she made a comment saying that her parent's death wasn't an accident and that she was starting to believe that the family wasn't cursed but rather that there was a plan. A plan that someone or someone had set in motion for a specific purpose."

"Did she say what she thought the purpose was?" Edward asked with a furrowed brow.

"No, just that nothing was an accident. But my dad told me that in the weeks before she left, she'd begun pressuring him to have me baptized and that she was spending a lot of time at the library researching the occult."

"The occult? You mean witchcraft? Why worry about baptism?" He asked, baffled by her mother's actions.

Bella shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know but I think it's more about the Devil and his powers on Earth. You know, how he can affect things here? As far as the baptism, my dad said that my mom was suddenly adamant that my soul needed protection. He thought she was being unreasonable and refused, claiming that the decision should be mine to make when I was older."

Edward nodded as he took in what she had said. He decided not to push the baptism question. He knew from experience that sort of thing was very personal. "You think there's something to what happened on Halloween, don't you?"

"That night…It felt real. I truly felt as if my grandmother was there trying to warn me. What she said made no sense at that time but after reading what my ancestors thought was happening to them and now learning how my mother was acting before she disappeared- I don't know if I can continue thinking it was just a prank," Bella said, shrugging slightly. "I don't know what to think, the pieces don't fit but there are so many unknowns."

"I don't know how to help you with that," Edward said, rubbing a hand across his forehead. He was beginning to get a headache, no doubt he was a bit dehydrated from earlier. "Let's put that aside for now. What are the dreams like?"

Edward watched with concern as Bella shivered. He grabbed a blanket from the back of the couch throwing it over her shoulders, feeling badly that he hadn't noticed the room becoming chilly and hating that she'd been in discomfort. Bella accepted the blanket with a grateful smile. She didn't tell Edward that her chills had nothing to do with temperature of the room but rather the memory of her last dream.

"In the beginning the dreams are good. You and I were in a meadow. It's sunny and we're having a picnic and then we..." Bella took Edward's hand, smiling coyly up at him.

"What else were we doing?" he asked with a mischievous grin.

"Just kissing," Bella said returning his smile. "maybe a little bit of touching. Nothing above a PG13 rating." She added with a small laugh. Edward couldn't resist leaning in to kiss her curved lips. Bella instantly pressed forward, wanting more of the warm tingles his touch was providing. She took his warmth and the pleasure it provided hoping to borrow from it as she delved deeper into her nightmare. They kissed for several moments, before Edward pulled away.

"Tell me the rest." He urged, pulling her to him so that she sat snugly at his right side with his arm tightly around shoulders. Bella melted easily into his embrace.

"We were lying on the blanket and suddenly the clouds turned dark and menacing. The sunlight faded as did the happy sounds of the woods. The birds, insects…everything went silent until the wind started to blow, practically moaning as it began to whip around us. The blanket turned to stone; I could feel its hardness underneath me as it scratched my skin. My body felt heavy as though I was being retrained but I didn't see any restraints." Bella's words came out in a rush, her body leaned forward as if it was caught up in the momentum of her speech. Edward shifted his body to match hers, wanting to keep their contact.

"I heard low words like someone chanting, but I didn't understand the language. I struggled with my invisible binds to try to find who was chanting, I couldn't see them because _he's_ holding me down." Bella shivered, grabbing at Edward's arm, bringing it tighter around her as if to ward off some unforeseen force.

" _Who_ was holding you down?" Edward asked with trepidation, alarmed by the fear in her voice.

Bella began to rock back and forth within Edward's arms. "I looked up thinking you'd help me but it wasn't you anymore, not really." Her eyes looked absently into the darkening room.

"It was your face and body but, the eyes…The eyes were wrong. They were cold and dark, void." She hurriedly tried to explain. "I grab his arms, trying to get him to help me pull away from whatever is holding me down, his skin is ice cold. I struggled harder until I realize he's holding me down."

"What do you mean it wasn't really _me_ anymore? _I_ was holding you down?" Edward asked as sickness and fear began building in his system.

His question went unanswered. Bella was lost to her dream.

"I yelled for him to release me, he doesn't say anything, he just smiled, no, it wasn't a smile," she says, correcting herself. "It was a cruel, arrogant leer. I struggle harder and started screaming as loudly as I could, but the chanting got louder, drowning out my screams." She added with a shiver. "I heard a voice. It was my mom, she was somewhere behind me pleading with me to fight harder and to not give in. I couldn't see her. All I saw was the you that's not really you, and then you were on top of me." Suddenly Bella's body became rigid as her eyes focused absently out the window. "I pulled harder; trying to get away…he pushed me down until he was between my legs. I could feel him pressing down on me. The wind picked up, and I could feel things…maybe leaves? They were swirling around my head, never touching me but I could still feel them. My moms' pleading continued. I tried to turn my head to see her, I wanted to see _her_! But he grabbed my chin, forcing me to look into his dark, cold eyes." Her voice drops off until it's almost impossible for Edward to hear her.

"Bella, what happened next?" Edward's stomach churned with heated bile as he waited, dreading her answer.

Hearing Edward's voice startled Bella from her trance. She expelled a shuddering breath and turned towards him with glassy eyes. In a low and halting voice, she said, "I always wake up when the baby starts crying."

 **~~~TDP~~~**

Bella left the Cullen home emotionally drained but oddly at peace. After she finished telling him about her dream, he'd brushed the tears from her face and kissed the tracks they'd left on her cheeks, all the while promising her that he was going to figure things out and take care of her. She'd smiled and sighed, loving the feeling of being cherished. His presence had comforted her immensely and she was surprised at how easily she was able to shake off the aftermath of relating the dream. Her mind was usually much less likely to rest after an episode and she would constantly keep trying to decipher every little moment. She would replay every note she'd read scribbled in the margins of the book. Headaches and mild nausea were equal companions in her search for answers. But sitting on a couch beside the boy who owned her heart lock, stock and barrel, she felt none of those things. Would they reappear later after she left Edward and was alone in her bedroom? Maybe. But she wasn't concerned with that possibility or probability. For now, he'd taken all of that away with his touch and softly voiced assurance that everything was going to be all right. That _he_ would make sure everything was going to be all right.

To her surprise, Edward hadn't asked many questions regarding the dreams. Although it was obvious that he was serious about seeing to her comfort and putting her fears at ease, he also seemed to shut down, becoming almost robotic. He'd automatically taken her hand as they wordlessly walked through the house towards the front door. Whereas she was constantly glancing at him hoping to catch a glimpse of the crooked grin she adored or perhaps a flirty look through his impossibly long eyelashes, his eyes, however were unwavering set on the path in front of them. She supposed that after everything they'd shared the idea that he would be in the mood to flirt with her was ridiculous. Yet, after their talk she felt as if a burden had been lifted from her and the desire to flirt with her hot boyfriend was strong. Somehow, she was able to tamp down her baser instincts and accepted the gentle kiss he bestowed on her at the door with just a smile and a few parting words.

Bella walked to her car feeling pounds lighter than when she'd made the walk into the Cullen house. Mentally, she ticked off the reasons she had to be happy; school was out for the holidays, her father loved her, she was in love with beautiful boy who made her feel beautiful, smart and cherished, and Christmas was only two days away. Despite the book of mysterious notes scribbled in the book by her probably unstable ancestors, and the nagging questions she had regarding her mother's disappearance, Bella's world was good.

It was almost a full hour after Bella left for home before Edward stopped shaking. He'd held it in as long as he could, holding her in his arms while she recovered from reliving the horrible dream. Standing at the front door he'd pushed her sweat-matted hair away from her forehead, kissing her gently, promising her that everything was going to be okay. He'd promised her that together they would figure out what those notes in her family bible meant and not to worry about the dreams. Bella smiled gratefully at his promise, kissing him quickly before walking to her car. Standing in the doorway with glassy eyes he'd watched her drive away, working to keep the nausea at bay until she was gone.

As soon as Bella's car was no longer visible, he'd bolted towards the nearest bathroom, barely making it to the toilet before his stomach emptied what little he'd eaten at lunch. The sounds of his dry heaving alerted his mother. Her worried knocking did little to help his headache. After assuring her he was okay and that he'd be out momentarily, Edward struggled to lift himself from the floor and staggered over to the sink. Edward splashed cold water onto his face and neck, before rinsing his mouth in an attempt to hide the fact he'd just vomited from his mother. His hopes of escaping to the dark solitude of his room would be completely gone if she were to smell regurgitated ham sandwich on his breath.

Avoiding looking into the mirror, to avoid seeing the monster that visited Bella in her dreams, he quickly wiped his face with the burgundy hand towel hanging by the sink and crept towards the door. The clicking of the lock was loud and obtrusive as he leaned out into the hallway expecting to see his mother waiting. Her absence gave him the window of opportunity he needed. Seeing that the lights were on in the kitchen and dining room, Edward surmised his mother was busy preparing dinner. He took the stairs two at a time rushing to find the comfort of his empty room. Edward laid down on his bed, clutching his pillow closely to him as the trepidation that had been hanging over his head since Bella finished her story, poured out of him in a tidal wave of emotion.

Curled into a tight ball in the middle of his bed as the moon rose to overtake the day, Edward Anthony Cullen sobbed.

 **~~TDP~~**

"It is nearly time. I can feel my body changing, readying itself for the task ahead," Satan exclaimed to his gathered minions, flexing his muscles as he spoke. "Soon I will take my Swan and with her I will renew my claim to the throne!" All but one of the condemned, cheered when appropriate as not to incur Satan's wrath. The lone holdout stood in the back, behind the cheering horde. His thoughts were racing with words and images he didn't completely understand as his head pounded to a beat that made his entire body throb in pain. Slipping from the crowded hall, Aro rushed to his cell, holding a hand to his aching head. As a once great seer, Satan had bestowed onto him his own room, complete with a stone bed, none could be too comfortable in Hell, and a low wooden table. He'd been further gifted with writing implements. Satan had done this not out of some sort of real kindness for the man, no but rather in an attempt to garner an affection from Aro lest his visons returned and The Devil would find them useful.

Aro gasped for air as white hot pain shot through his temples. Using both hands, he clutched at the sides of his head, hoping the pressure would lessen the pain. Suddenly, bright light flashed behind his closed eyelids.

Three words appeared on the stark whiteness of the flash. _Non poterit pugnare_

Followed quickly by three more. _Ipse est pugna_

Aro scrambled to the desk, grabbing for his quill, he recorded the words.

 _Et iustus non poterit anima neglecta a bestia,_ came next, followed by, _Oportet vicit illum_

Aro's shaking hand hovered over the page as he waited for the next sentence. As quickly as the flashes appeared, they were gone as was the worst of his pain, leaving only a lingering ache. He slumped heavily onto the stool, it shook with the movement of his body giving out.

Had his visions returned? Had the Lord forgiven his sins? His fevered mind ran with questions. In the past his visions had come in the form of dreams. They were subtle and painless, often ignored until triggered as important by an event or words spoken. This vision had come upon him with the force of a boulder dropping from the sky. Their meaning was not yet clear however their sharp talons had carved the words onto his brain, not to be ignored. After several calming breaths, Aro looked again at the words that had come to him in a haze of agony. He recognized the language immediately. It was Latin, his mother tongue. Aro traced the words as his lips soundlessly repeated them.

 _He can fight._

 _He must fight._

 _His righteous soul cannot be ignored by the beast._

 _He must be victorious._

Aro sat rocking back and forth in his chair, repeating the words over and over. His back creaked with his effort. He had no concept of time as he worked out the words. But he was determined to learn their importance as he was now convinced he'd been once again gifted by God. And he would not let his lord down a second time.

Suddenly, Aro's head lifted and his eyes widened as they stared at the stone wall before him. Reaching beside him, he unrolled and smoothed out the Swan Prophecy, reading the memorized words again, before unrolling yet another page. This page while not the Swan prophecy, laid out the commands that the Devil would use in order to complete his control over his vessel. Aro's eyes raced over the lines, repeating them in his head lest somehow the Beast would overhear his mutterings and know what he was about. Aro knew little of spells, but he was well versed on manipulating the written word with slight changes that would be unheard by the speaker, at least he hoped that his skills were up to the task.

With quill in hand, Aro began scribbling out the commands. Over and over he wrote them until, at last, he'd managed to change one verse so minutely that the Devil wouldn't be able to hear the change as he spoke the words. Aro let out a deep breath and laid down his quill. This was it, he thought. This will allow a measure of control to the vessel's poor soul. Aro knew that just changing the spell would not guarantee that the vessel would understand the power he still had, but it was all he could offer. Aro rolled the new verse up to sit with the prophecy. Satan would be calling for both soon and as his servant, he would have no choice but to hand them both over. He only hoped that what he'd done would be enough.

Aro folded his hands and lowered his head in prayer, understanding the magnitude of his actions. He was challenging Satan with this show of defiance. He would accept whatever punishment Satan bestowed as Aro would not be deterred from offering words of thanks up to his God.

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I have to admit that writing about Aro as a good guy is a bit weird. What are your thoughts?

Until next time,

ruinedbyrob


	23. Chapter 23

**I couldn't do this without the help and encouragement of the lovely Sazzledazzled and the amazing beta skills of Edwardsfirstkiss. This one was a mess and I ripped it apart several times to get it right. I tinkered a little before posting. All mistakes are mine.  
**

 **I hope you all enjoy it!**

 **I don't do this often, but I'm giving you a trigger warning for this chapter. It deals with a suicide and thoughts of suicide.**

 **Disclaimer:SM owns Twilight but Devilward is mine.**

* * *

 **The Devil's Plan**

Chapter 23

 _Don't Talk to Strangers_

"Why so mopey? Are you afraid Santa will forget where you live?" Charlie asked with a wink while topping off his thermos with fresh coffee.

Bella shook her head and continued halfheartedly leafing through the book of recipes she had no intention of making. Frowning, Charlie walked over to stand beside his broody daughter.

"Honey, what's wrong? I've never seen you this upset with Christmas so close." He put an arm around her shoulders, giving them a little jostle in the hopes he could elicit a response from her. Suddenly, Bella threw her arms around his middle and sniffled into his side.

Her action had Charlie's parental radar _pinging_ loudly.

"Is it that _boy_? Do I need to make a house call? Will I need one or two sets of cuffs?" Charlie began to mentally count how many deputies he had on staff today. If he needed to take the big kid in as well as Edward, he'd need back up.

Pulling back, Bella wiped her runny nose with the back of her hand and shook her head. "No. Nothing like that." She admitted with a heavy sigh. "It's just that I haven't heard from Edward since Wednesday."

Charlie looked down upon his child's head. With a comforting touch, he stroked her silky hair. "Sweetheart, it's only Friday. It's been a whole twenty-four hours. Maybe he's busy with the holidays? Christmas is tomorrow, I'm sure he's just busy." His words didn't have the effect he'd hoped for, as Bella's tears returned.

"You don't understand. Even when we're busy we at least text 'good night' or 'good morning', I haven't heard anything from him. Nothing!" She repeated.

"It's all my fault," she said in a whisper. "I told him about the dream and now he thinks I'm crazy. He probably doesn't want anything to do with me." Bella laid her head down onto the table, cradling it in her arms. Charlie sighed heavily as he watched his angel cry. He was at a loss. Having to deal with these kinds of boy/girl relationship problems were new to him. He'd rather grab his thermos and run out onto the streets of Forks, taking his chances with crazed holiday drivers hunting for that last gift than have to hear about the complexities of his daughter's relationship with a boy. But it broke his heart to see her like this.

"Honey, why would he think you were crazy?" He asked gently, lifting her chin so he could look into her tear stained face.

"I've been having this weird dream and I told him about it and now…" Bella shrugged her shoulders.

"What could you have said that would lead someone to question your sanity?" Charlie prodded.

Bella's eye moved to the side. "Um, it's a strange dream. There's chanting, wind blowingandIhearmomyellingformewhilesomeonewholookslikeEdwardbutisn'tEdwardholdsmedownonastonetable." Charlie's head may have well been filled with cotton for as much good as it was able to assist him in deciphering what Bella had said.

"What? Bella, say it again, slowly." He added when he saw her take in a deep breath, no doubt preparing to fire off at the same break-neck speed she'd just used.

She dropped her shoulders in defeat and started again. "I hear chanting, like that monk chanting that was really popular a couple years ago, but I don't know where it's coming from and I'm lying on a stone table with someone holding me down-."

"You're being held against your will by the Cullen boy?!" Charlie's radar was pinging off the charts.

"No, dad, _not_ Edward but someone that looks like Edward." Bella let out a huff when the look in her father's eye told her that he didn't put a distinction between the two. "It's not Edward," she said again with more force. Charlie's shoulders relaxed slightly.

"What is this non-Edward looking thing doing to you?"

"Nothing, just holding me down, like he needs me to be there at that moment for something but I have no idea what that something is. And then-"

"There's more?" Bella nodded as Charlie squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed a hand down his face before pulling out a chair and joined her at the table. "Okay," he said with a sigh, "continue."

Bella chewed on her bottom lip as she pondered how he would take the next revelation. "I hear Mom."

Charlie's eyes widened. "You hear your mom?" He repeated. "Sweetheart, you were so little when she left, you wouldn't remember what she sounded like." Belle's body stiffened in her seat.

"I know I was little but I know it's her." She stated emphatically, slightly miffed that he'd insinuate she'd forgotten her own mother's voice. Charlie recognized stubbornness when he saw it.

"Okay," he said with a sigh, "What is your mother saying?"

Bella's stature relaxed slightly. "She says for me to fight and to not give in."

"Fight what? Not give into what?" He asked as his daughter shook her head and shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know. But it all stops when I hear a baby cry." If the situation wasn't serious, she'd laugh at the face her father was making. His eye had widened to the point he looked cartoonish and his cheeks were visibly red under his beard.

" **Baby?** What baby?!" He sputtered with a hand over his heart. He could swear he felt it skip several beats when his teenage daughter had uttered the word 'baby'. No, No, he thought. Not on my watch.

"There will be no baby! Do you hear me? That's it, no more unchaperoned dates, your new curfew is now eight-thirty and-"

"Dad!"

"-you'll need to come down to the station for some self-defense classes maybe I should get you a taser?" Bella recoiled at the sinister look on her father's face as she guessed he was imagining using said taser on Edward.

"Dad, stop! There isn't a baby. Not even close." While she wouldn't lie to herself and say that she wasn't the tiniest disappointed that she and Edward's physical relationship hadn't progressed to the point where she needed to have the birth control talk with her dad, she could see the relief in his eyes at her words.

Charlie took several deep breaths as his heart started to slow down. He glared at his grinning daughter.

"It's not funny." He declared. "Besides, I think the dream is clearly telling you that your relationship with the _boy_ needs to slow down. Your absent mother is telling you to keep your legs crossed."

"That is not what the dream means." Bella huffed loudly at her now, smug father.

"You don't know." He challenged, getting up to collect his thermos from the counter.

"Dad, they're scary. I wake up all sweaty and it feels like a warning about something bad, evil." Her voice had lost all humor. Hearing the change in her tone, Charlie turned back to the table.

"Baby, there's nothing for you to be scared of. I will never allow anything to happen to you. I'm worried that your imagination is working a little overtime because of what you found in the book." Bella had tried to speak to her father regarding the notes she'd found. He had scoffed at them, claiming that there must be an overreaction gene running through Renee's family. After his easy dismissal of what she'd found, she'd kept Renee's thoughts to herself.

"Dad, I don't think it's my imagination," Bella reiterated with a frown.

"Honey, can we talk about this later? I have to get to the station so I can spend tomorrow home." He began walking towards the back door.

"Okay." She reluctantly agreed, placing her attention back to the forgotten recipe book.

"By the way, you WILL be taking self-defense classes and I wasn't joking about the new curfew." He grinned at his daughter's open-mouthed stare before walking out the door to his cruiser, and leaving for his Christmas Eve shift.

Bella's mood improved only slightly after Charlie left. She supposed her imagination could be running away with her, after all, she thought, it wouldn't be the first instance. But this time felt different, the dream felt real and it lingered in her thoughts long after she'd woken up. Coupled with the very weird and as of yet totally unexplained Halloween night, she was unwilling to give her father's words a lot of credence, plus their talk did nothing to help her understand why she hadn't heard from Edward. Bella decided to give him another hour or two and then call him, again. She redirected her attention to the forgotten recipe book, flipping through the pages until she got to her favorite sugar cookie recipe. Pleased she'd found something to get her mind of her dream and silent boyfriend, she got to work.

 **~~~TDP~~~**

"No, baby, you don't wear the tinsel, it stays on the tree. Not that you wouldn't look freaking fantastic in a tinsel bikini." Edward rolled his eyes but didn't turn around from his place at the window. Ever since his parents demanded that he leave his room several hours ago, he'd been subjected to insipid conversations. Behind him, Emmett was explaining to Rosalie the Cullen family Christmas traditions, however, it sounded to Edward that he was actually having to explain _everything_ about Christmas to her. Edward had never been a fan of his brother's girlfriend, thinking her cold and mean. He was now prepared to slap the label, 'dumb as a box of hair' on the blonde girl as well.

"Babe, the fire is fine. There isn't really a Santa Claus. He's just a nice story that parents make up for their children." Edward banged his head onto the window in defeat.

"What's your problem Edward? Are you worried you're getting coal in your stocking this year? It would serve you right." Edward ignored Emmett's taunt and Rosalie's sniggering, he continued to stare out the window, stroking the soft fur of his second-best friend, who was snuggled contently on his lap.

"I hope I don't end up ruining your life too." He whispered into Kodi's velvety ear. Since Bella's departure, Edward had been once again plunged into what seemed to him to be unending guilt trip. He couldn't forget what she had said about her dream. How it had been him holding her down, hurting her. The fact that she'd assured him several times, and that she knew it wasn't really him, did nothing to stop his mind from walking down a dark path. To Edward, her subconscious was trying to tell her he was a monster, someone that was no good and should stay away from. Why else would it be his face she saw? Why would her mother have been screaming for her to get away from him? To Edward the signs were clear. He wondered how long before Bella realized what they meant and left him. The thought of her leaving him made his heart ache, but he'd be lying if he wasn't half expecting it to happen or that she'd be better off without him.

Edward knew Dr. Felix would be furious if he were aware of the thoughts Edward was having. All of their work the past few months had been destroyed by Bella's dream. Regardless, Edward couldn't stop thinking that her dream was an omen. No matter what kind of spin his therapist and mother were able to put on his actions, the fact remained that if he'd never given in to Tanya, her family would still be intact and he could look at a baby without wanting to vomit. Maybe he wasn't the monster he portrayed in Bella's dream but could he say that he was good for her? Was he selfish enough to keep her, knowing that her subconscious saw through his façade and was warning her off?

Out of the corner of his eye he saw his phone light up with another alert for a missed call. Sighing, Edward reached over and turned the thing off, shoving it into his pocket. He snuggled Kodi closer and continued to stare out the window. He didn't know what to say to her. Avoidance was a cowardly move. He guessed that was just one more crime to add to his rap sheet.

Kodi began to squirm in his arms. Edward put him down and watched as the puppy waddled over to the front door, indicating he needed to go out. With the inane chatter still going on behind him, he made the quick decision to take the puppy out himself instead of letting him out in the back yard where he'd have to walk through the kitchen where his mother was baking. The last thing he wanted was another awkward conversation with his mother. What he did want was some peace. He wanted, no, he needed some time to forget. Just a couple minutes, half an hour maybe an hour or two where he could pretend that he wasn't the cause of so much pain.

"What do you say to a little walk?" Edward took Kodi's slow blink, as an affirmative.

Grabbing the leash, he put his coat on and hooked his buddy up.

The cold night air made his lungs clench, but the pain felt good. It gave him something else to focus on. He watched Kodi finish up with his business and then began to tug on the leash looking longingly towards the warm glow of the house. Edward let out a deep breath and focused instead on the end of the driveway. "Come on. We'll just go a little way." Edward began walking, tugging the trailing puppy behind him.

A light snow began to fall as they walked alongside the wooded road. Edward took deep breaths as Kodi sniffed the ground and barked at all the bunnies he presumed were spitefully hiding from him in the dark.

The soft crunching of the gravel and the cool flakes of the falling snow landing on his face gave Edward something to concentrate on. It wasn't snowing heavily enough to completely cover the trees and ground. He could still see the dark brown bark of the fallen tree trunks and leaves that littered the path and surrounding forest. Still, his mom would be pleased. There would be just a light covering on the ground for Christmas morning. Having grown up in Chicago, Esme was used to having snow for Christmas. Moving to Forks, had put pressure on the entire family and had caused Carlisle to lose the vacation he had stocked up, necessitating the Cullen's staying in Forks for the season rather than going to Illinois.

A car Edward recognized as his father's drove speedily past them on his way to the house, barely missing him and Kodi on the side of the road. It had gotten considerably darker since they'd started their journey. Edward decided to head back towards the house. The last thing he wanted to do was put Kodi's life in jeopardy because he didn't want to go back to the house and listen to Emmett explain the Easter Bunny to Rosalie.

Edward hadn't realized he'd led them so far down the road. Kodi ran out of steam halfway back, he had to carry the tired, thirty-pound _puppy_ the last half mile to the house. Edward noticed his dad's car was parked uncharacteristically askew in the driveway. His brow furrowed in observation. Carlisle Cullen always parked in the garage in straight lines. Never haphazardly in the driveway.

Something was off.

Edward and Kodi shook the snow off at the front door. Kodi quickly wandered off down the hallway in search of an after-walk treat. Edward hung up his coat and prepared to escape to his room, when he noticed the voices coming from the dining room. Edward stopped in his tracks to listen, even though every instinct he had was telling him to run. The comments blended into each other, but Edward could separate the voices.

"Oh my God!" Esme declared.

"Dammit!" Emmett's voice rose over the other's in the room.

"Why now? Why would she do this horrible thing now?" Esme asked. Edward could hear the alarm in her voice. He edged closer to the room.

"I don't know." Edward fell against the wall when he heard Alec's voice. Tanya's son was clearly distraught. Alec had been avoiding the family for months, so why would he be in the house now?

"How could she be so selfish?" The disgust in Carlisle's voice was undisguised.

"Carlisle!" Edward heard his mother admonish her husband.

"I'm sorry Alec. How can we help?"

"I don't know what to do? Dad won't be back for another week." It sounded as if the boy was crying.

"Honey, we're here for you. I think I still have your aunt's number, let me get my phone." Esme rounded the corner from the dining room. "Edward," she exclaimed. "You scared me."

"Why is Alec here?" He asked. Esme's eyes darted to the room she'd just left. Fear and worry were etched deeply on her face. Edward's heart sped up at the realization that she was scared for him, making his need to know what was going on imperative.

"Honey, I need you to go upstairs to your room and-."

"Why is Alec here?!" Edward asked loudly, in a shrill tone. Something had happened, something terrible and they weren't telling him what it was.

"Edward, please, go upstairs. Now." Esme barely had the words out of her mouth when there was a commotion from the room behind her.

Before he could even consider defending himself, Alec rounded the corner. He came at Edward, with unrestrained force pushing him up against the wall. The sound of glass shattering echoed in the hallway when Edward's back and head were forced up against the wall, knocking down Esme's paintings and family pictures.

"You did this! This is your fault! **It's all your fault**!" Alec accused as his fists found purchase on Edward's face. Edward pushed against the older boy, throwing him back a bit, allowing him to put his hands up over his face and begin to fight back.

"Alec, stop! Carlisle, help!" Alec grabbed Edward's collar, throwing him to the floor amongst the broken glass as Alec straddled him and continued his attack. Blood began to flow from Edward's nose as his father's arms came around the furious boy, pulling him off his son.

"Emmett, help me!" Carlisle ordered as Emmett reluctantly took over restraining his friend. Kodi was running around in circles, barking menacingly at the boy that was hurting _his_ boy. "Put Kodi out too."

"Rose, grab him!" Emmett called out. Surprisingly, she moved swiftly from her observation point in the doorway towards the hysterical puppy. Kodi became even more agitated, growling and snapping intensely as she scooped him up and headed back towards the kitchen.

"Oh my God! Oh my God!" Esme cried as she watched her husband help their battered son up from the floor. She instantly went to Edward, putting her arms around him. Edward swiped at the blood on dripping from his nose. The physical pain felt good, it pushed the emotional pain down.

"Let me go!" Alec screamed at Emmett, clearly fighting his friend's hold. Edward looked up to meet Alec's furious gaze. His pain was etched deeply on his face. Edward immediately felt deeply sorry for the boy that had just bloodied and bruised his body.

"I'm so sorr-. "Edward began to utter the phrase that seemed to have become more of a mantra over the past year.

"Don't! Don't you dare say you're sorry!" Alec screamed.

"Get him out of here!" Carlisle ordered his son. Unexpectedly, Emmett immediately did as his father asked.

Edward watched as Emmett dragged a struggling Alec back into the dining room.

"What is going on?" Edward screamed, pushing away from his mother's hold. "Tell me!

Esme's worried eyes darted to her husband. Carlisle sighed and put his hand on his youngest son's shaking shoulder, attempting to examine his bruised face. Edward pushed his father away in irritation.

"Just. Tell. Me."

"Edward, Tanya killed herself this morning." Edward gasped and fell to his knees as all the air rushed out of his body. Esme immediately went to his side. Trying to comfort him.

He knew Bella's dream was foretelling. He knew that he wasn't done ruining lives.

"How?" Edward asked, his voice cracking with emotion.

"That's not important." Esme insisted, kissing his temple.

"Dad! Tell me, please." Edward pleaded, ignoring his mother's ministrations.

Sighing, Carlisle looked him in the eye, "She slit her wrists in the bathtub. Alec found her this morning. Aro is out of the country. Alec called me."

Visions of water colored to a putrid brown running over the sides of a pristine white tub flashed in his mind.

"My fault. All my fault. I'll ruin her too." He chanted, rocking back and forth on the polished parquet floor.

"What? No! This is not your fault. Carlisle, tell him!" Esme implored as she held her broken son tighter to her chest, rocking in unison with his sobs.

"You didn't kill her. She did this to herself." Carlisle assured his son.

Edward didn't hear their pleas. There was only one voice in his head at it was repeating the words, _"You did it! You ruined her life. And you'll do it to Bella too!"_ Edward broke away from his mother and started for the front door.

"Edward, wait!" Esme pleaded, her eyes begging Carlisle to stop their son.

"Let him go!" Everyone turned to look at Alec, he was standing in the hallway, his eyes red with grief and his face twisted into a sneer. "He did this! My mother lost everything because of you!" His chest heaved with the weight of his emotions. Alec wanted someone else to hurt as much as he did and that person was Edward Cullen.

"I lost my family because of you! Let him go before he hurts someone else!" Spittle ran down the tearful boy's face as he spewed his vitriol at Edward.

"Emmett!" Carlisle yelled as his son once again dragged a fighting Alec out of the room.

Esme turned towards her son, her hand out to tentatively touch him. Her hand fell dejected to her side as he stepped back from her touch. "Baby, come here. We'll figure this out. Alec is upset. He didn't mean it. Please." She begged as Edward grabbed his jacket and opened the front door. "No! Edward, you stay right there. Do not leave this house!" Esme's desperate order fell on deaf ears.

Edward launched himself from the porch towards his car. The front door slammed as his parents followed him. "Edward, you're in no shape to drive! Get back in this house!" Carlisle ordered from the front porch.

Edward slammed the car door before his father had even finished speaking. Throwing the car into reverse, he spun the tires and sped down the driveway. Despite the thin layer of slippery snow, gravel rocked up with the force of his acceleration, pelting the side of his car and anyone nearby.

Edward drove into the night. He had no predetermined destination. He had nowhere to go but knew he needed to go somewhere.

With the windows down and the cold wind biting at his face and hands, mile markers sped past his windows. He had no concept for how long he'd been driving or even where he was. He'd allowed the car to roll on its own path. On autopilot, Edward felt his car roll to a stop. From the front window he could see the lake, to the right, an observation area with benches overlooking the pitch black water. He got out of the car and headed towards the bench. He passed a sign proclaiming the area as Lake Sutherland. Edward noted, with little interest, that he had driven straight up the 101 and was just west of Port Angeles. He had no recollection of ever coming to this area before, not that it mattered, when he'd gotten into his car all he'd cared about was leaving everyone behind.

Escaping.

Disappearing.

As he took in the deserted lake and surrounding forest, he noted with a bit of gratification, he'd done just that. He was alone. Utterly alone.

Edward's tired body fell heavily onto the unyielding bench. His nose had stopped bleeding soon after he'd left the house. He hadn't bothered to try to clean the mess from his face or hands, he wore the reminder of his crimes for all to see.

Edward stared absently out onto the water for hours allowing the damp, cold night to envelope him in its frigid embrace. He sat unmoving, yet his mind would not rest. He was beset with horrifying images of Tanya staring blankly from her watery death bed. Her blonde hair matted and limp and her once tan limbs, now ghostly pale hung lifelessly outside of the tub. Edward's breath caught in his throat as blonde turned to chestnut, blue eyes turned to chocolate brown.

At the images, dry heaves wracked his exhausted body. "Bella, I _can't_ hurt Bella." He repeated as his exhausted system reacted to the images his traitorous mind refused to stop showing him.

In desperation, he croaked out a final plea. The words left his frozen lips in a stuttered cadence: "Please- make the- hurt stop. I just want- to stop the pain." Briefly, his eyes darted to the ominous looking water. The weather wasn't cold enough to freeze the churning water, Edward thought. But he knew the temperature would be sufficient to quickly induce hypothermia to anyone unlucky enough to fall in. Could he do it? Could he allow the darkness to finally overtake him? The image of his mother's tearful and pleading face as he raced from the house, flashed in his mind. She would be hurt if he fell under the waves. He knew she'd never stop hurting. The sound of his father's voice berating Tanya for her selfishness rang in his ears. Could he be that selfish? Ending his pain when he knew his mother would continue to endure hers?

"Bella. Oh God, Bella." He wailed, hugging his arms closer to his body, not for the meager heat they provided to his frigid body. But rather he was trying to hold himself together. He felt as if he were literally falling apart at the seams. The thought of hurting her burned in him like the hottest fire, charring him from the inside out. Bella had accepted his past, loved him in spite of what he'd done. Could he be so cruel as to repay her by plunging into the dark void? Could he just leave her? Never see her bright smile or warm and comforting eyes as they looked deep into his? Could he give up the very sunshine that fueled his soul?

He walked cautiously to edge of the observation deck. There was only a single strand of cable strung between waist high posts separating him from the abyss.

His teeth chattered as he looked out onto the waiting void.

"I would do anything for the pain to stop" He whispered hoarsely to the darkness.

"Anything?" Edward turned so quickly at the stranger's voice, he lost his footing and began to fall over the edge. How ironic, he thought as he toppled over the flimsy barrier, I wasn't going to jump.

Suddenly he was hurled backwards by an unseen hand, landing on his butt in front of the bench he'd so recently vacated.

"Who are you?" Edward asked the tall cloaked figure. He tried desperately to see the person's face, but the dark December night and heavy cloak surrounding the man, shielded him from Edwards' sight. All of a sudden, Edward began to shiver uncontrollably. He'd been cold all night but the feeling that came over him when this being turned his eyes to him, made him feel as if every drop of warmth left in his body had been instantly drained and replaced with a profound coldness.

" _Please allow me to introduce myself. I'm a man of wealth and taste. I've been around for a long, long year. Stole many a man's soul to waste._ " The man finished his speech, threw his head back and laughed loudly. It was an unnerving maniacal laugh. Edward shuddered and leapt to his feet, his fight or flight response kicking in. He prepared to sprint back to the safety of his car. Only to have the man reach out and grab his arm. With an iron strong grasp, he forcibly pulled Edward back down on to the bench beside him. Edward's eyes widened in undisguised terror as his body began to shudder in undisguised fear.

"Forgive the theatrics. Sometimes I can't resist," The man said with a slight chuckle and flourish of his hands. "Mick and the boys did a great job with the lyrics. It's quite the tribute. Don't you agree?" He asked. Edward couldn't speak. His mind raced trying to remember the rest of the song. Desperately hoping it would give him a clue as to who the man was and hoping beyond hope, the man wasn't who he thought he was.

The still cloaked man chuckled to himself before turning his cold eyes to Edward. "Rest easy Edward, I'm not after _your_ soul."

* * *

 **A/N**

 **You knew _he_ was going to show up eventually. What did you think of his entrance?**

 **Credit to the Rolling Stones for the words to their amazing song, Sympathy for the Devil. LOVE that song!**

 **I'll be waiting anxiously to hear your thoughts. *slips quietly under the covers clutching her Rob pillow.***

 **Until next time,**

 **ruinedbyrob**


	24. Chapter 24

**I meant to get this out to you guys forever and a day ago, but I took this chapter apart several times before I thought I had it right. I hope you like it.**

 **Much love to my amazing pre-reader, SazzleDazzled and beta, Edwardsfirstkiss. I appreciate their encouragement and help so very much.**

 **SM owns Twilight.**

 **The Devil's Plan**

Chapter 24

 _The Devil Inside_

Realization hit Edward with sledgehammer force. "The Devil." He whispered to himself.

"I'm known by many names. My subjects refer to me as 'Sire.' My friends and family call me Lucifer. Edward, I do hope we'll be friends." Edward recoiled at Satan's wicked grin.

 _Friends? With the Devil?_ Edward bent forward on the bench, placing his head between his legs as nausea churned in his stomach.

" _Not real. Not real. Not real."_ Edward chanted through chattering teeth.

The Devil laughed beside him. "I assure you Edward, you don't mind if I call you Edward?" The Devil continued without waiting for an answer. "I'm real. As real as they come. So let's dispense with the whole, 'how do you know who I am, how did you find me and prove it' bullshit." The Devil suggested roughly. "I really don't like to play games. Besides, we've met before. Remember?" Edward's head shot up as The Devil lowered the heavy hood that had been obscuring his face.

Recognition shot through Edward's tired body. "The party, at Halloween. You were there." He'd recognized him as the weird and scary guest Jasper had brought. "Lucian," he said in a whoosh of air.

"Yes. Some people totally freak out when you tell them your name is Lucifer. I find that Lucian has a nice ring to it," The Devil said with a shoulder shrug.

"Why were you there?"

"It can get pretty boring in Hell. All of the torture followed by crying, whining, pleading…," The Devil waved a dismissive hand. "I like to get out every once in a while. You know, see what my father's favored children are up to. You humans get into some serious shit up here. I mean, Ebola, hate crimes, terrorism-the list goes on. It makes a guy like me feel right at home. You have my fair feathered brothers and sisters all tied up in knots. Have you ever seen a stressed-out angel? They look like puppies on crack. Running in circles, sniffing each other's butts." He laughed again, chuckling so hard he rocked the bench.

Edward blinked slowly, shaking his head. This can't be real. He could not really be sitting in the dark having a conversation with The Devil. Much less one that thinks he's a comedian.

"You don't think I'm funny? I'm wounded." The Devil mocked with an evil grin.

"How did you-?"

"Hear you?" The Devil asked with a sigh. "Well, as an omnipresent being, I can hear your thoughts. But not very well, and not for long. You see, I'm a bit limited up here." Edward didn't need to hear anything else. He shot up from the bench, only to once again be pushed back down.

"Stop doing that!" The Devil ordered. "I may be limited but I can still handle a human boy!" He sneered.

What do you want?" Edward had lost all of his fight. He only hoped he'd soon wake up from this horrible, delusional nightmare. Until then, he'd play along.

"Yes, let's get right to the point. Simply, I can provide what you seek. As I said before, I can only be _here_ in this body for mere hours and I need to be able to stay _here_ for longer than that. I need-"

"What do you mean _here_? On this bench?" Edward interrupted.

"I don't appreciate being interrupted. Do not do it again!" The Devil bellowed angrily. His words echoed across the lake. Edward's eyes widened at the forceful words as his mouth clamped shut of its own volition as he shrank into the back of the bench.

"Understood?" Edward nodded, his eyes never leaving the intimidating man. "Good. Now, where were we? Oh yes, you would like to feel no pain, forget all of the trouble you've caused, and boy have you caused some trouble, "The Devil said with appreciation. I can give you the solace you seek. But you have to give me something in return." Even in the dark, Edward could see his malicious grin.

Every cell in his body begged him not to ask and yet, as if he had no choice, he did just that. "What?"

The Devil smiled. His teeth, an unnatural white, beamed in the darkness. "I need to borrow you."

His words lingered in the air like a swarm of gnats in a field. As much as Edward wanted to swat them away, he knew they would just come back.

"I don't understand."

"It's easy really," The Devil said, leaning into Edward as if he were explaining how to complete a difficult physics equation, rather than how Edward would fit into his nefarious plans. "As I mentioned before, I'm quite limited up here. This body," he said, getting up to stand before Edward. "While a supreme example of male perfection, will only hold its shape for a couple of hours before I have to return to Hell. But, if I were able to _borrow_ a human body, I could stay up here much longer. You would have your respite with none of those pestering feelings of guilt and pain. And I would be able to complete my mission."

Any mission The Devil had on Earth had to be bad. "No."

"No?" The Devil repeated. "You will reconsider." He said, threateningly.

"No, I won't." Edward spoke with undiscovered confidence. He'd brought on enough pain, he wouldn't allow this dark and evil thing to use him as a tool to bring more.

"Really?" Edward nodded. "Hmmm, well that's unfortunate. I guess I should let you get back home where your family is consoling poor, poor Alec. Back home where your mother is shedding a tear for the woman she hates, but used to consider a friend. Yes, yes, you should definitely hurry back. I believe your brother is waiting to have a _word_ with you. Your father is just now speaking to Marcus, explaining how Tanya ended her life while her son was in the next room. Do you want me to tell you how it happened? What sent her over the edge? What it felt like as the razor sliced-"

"STOP!" Edward yelled, covering his ears with his hands. The images of Tanya had only just stopped playing in his mind, and with a few phrases, they were back. Edward's head began to pound with a vengeance.

"Oh, too hard for you to hear? Awwww,does it make you sad to hear about the devastation you've wrought? Strap in Edward, you're not done destroying lives."

"STOP! No!" Every negative thought Edward had been harboring was being thrown at him.

"Let's recount, shall we? Your father had to leave the job he'd worked years to obtain in one of the most prestigious hospitals in the country and lose all of the authority and standing within that community, to languish in a backwater hospital. Your brother lost his starting position as an All-Star only to be forced to make the starting lineup on a team that has never seen the inside of a playoff venue. And poor, poor Esme-"

"Why are you doing this?" Edward begged, as his hands covered his face in desperation.

"My dear Edward, is being reminded of your crimes making you sad?" The Devil asked, with a mock pout. "Too bad. _Own up Buttercup_ because I'm just getting started. Did you know that your dear, sweet mother is an alcoholic?" Edward removed his hands and looked up in surprise. "Oh, yes. Poor Esme is barely keeping it together. What with a husband that looks for reasons to avoid coming home, a son that is practically crippled with guilt and depression to the point that he sucks the life out of everyone he meets, it's a wonder she hasn't turned to the razor-"

"Shut your fucking mouth!" Edward erupted with anger. "Don't you come near my mother!" He screamed, moving forward intending to fight Lucifer, only to find himself being flung to the ground with the merest of movement on Satan's part, where he was left gasping for air. His lungs on fire from the force used to move him.

"Don't EVER think to touch me! I'm goddamn Satan!" Edward curled into himself as Satan's voice bellowed so loudly he thought his eardrums would bleed.

Satan leaned down to where he could whisper into Edward's ear. "Know this _boy,_ even limited on this Earth in _this_ body, I am the most fearsome being in your world!" Satan seethed with gritted teeth and blazing eyes.

"You have no idea what I'm capable of! You people read the Bible and think you know me!" Edward closed his eyes against the onslaught, trying to regain his breath. "One-third of God's angels followed me to my kingdom! _I_ tempted Eve and proved how weak you humans are! I have made more war, and destroyed more souls than God has ever saved," he said, boastingly. Edward could feel Satan's hot and fetid breath on his cheek as the being continued his rant. "If you think for one fucking minute I will hesitate to add your mother's soul to the pile, you are gravely delusional-"

"No you won't." Edward interrupted. Edward scooted back so he could see Satan's face.

"What did you say?!" The Devil's temper rose at the boy's impudence.

"I said, 'No you won't'. You need me." Edward straightened his backbone and moved to a sitting position on the hard ground.

Satan eyed him carefully. He'd miscalculated Edward's strength. No matter, he would be able to use it against the boy, but it rankled him that he'd given the child an upper hand, regardless of how fleeting it would be.

"So, I do." The Devil agreed. "Will you acquiesce to my invitation?"

Edward hung his head. How could he even consider allowing this menace to use him? No, it would be better if he were to die than help this foul thing.

"Hmmm, I see we may need at bit more convincing." Lucifer had heard Edward's thoughts, he did not approve. "I could kill you. It won't end your suffering of course, no, I have a nice room picked out for you downstairs. But if you think sacrificing your life will stop my plans, once again my friend, you're wrong. And I won't stop with the lovely Esme." Edward gasped at the Devil's threat.

Satan smiled evilly, knowing he had the boy on the ropes. "No, if you disappoint me, I will obliterate your _**entire**_ family. I'm thinking a nice child pornography scandal for _Daddy Dearest_. Imagine the community's surprise when Esme Cullen is found passed out at the wheel in front of Forks Elementary. Think about _them_ , Edward." Satan advised, chuckling darkly as Edward began to hyperventilate. "And for Emmett, I'm thinking steroid abuse that ends in bank robbery," Satan said, spreading his arms out as if he were describing a scene in a movie. "possibly a life of petty crime to pay for his drugs? I mean, have you seen that kid? Everyone probably thinks he's already on steroids." Satan's eyes practically danced in delight as he gleefully described Edward's family's downfall. "They'll lose all that they've worked so hard to maintain after you destroyed their lives in Seattle."

The pain coursing through Edward's body was nearly debilitating. He curled his body tighter into a ball as he processed what the ghoul had said.

Satan happily observed the boy writhing on the ground. Edward Cullen had given him moment's pause when he'd flatly denied him once his plan was revealed, but watching the child fall apart now, brought relief. Edward was breaking. It was time for Satan to play his final card.

"Think of that poor, poor girl, her life will never be th-"

"No!" Edward wailed, his eyes red and brimming with tears. They rolled uncontrollably down his cheeks as his body shook in denial. "Leave her alone! Please!" Edward didn't know what to do. He couldn't allow this evil to touch Bella. She was innocent in all of this. She'd saved him when no one else could.

He loved her.

He'd do anything to save her.

"I'll do anything, just don't hurt her." The words fell out of Edward's mouth faster than his brain could decipher what he was actually agreeing to do.

"My dear Edward, I don't want to hurt anyone. That is as long as we can come to an agreement." The Devil smiled toothily, not even attempting to hide his delight at Edward's downfall.

"Whatever, as long as you leave my family and Bella alone."

"Wonderful! Now, just so we're all in agreement. You agree to let me borrow your body for my use while I conduct my _business_ and I agree to not push your family into a downward spiral."

"What about Bella?" Edward's voice was barely discernable as exhaustion threatened to overcome him.

"Don't you worry about pretty Bella. I want nothing more than to keep her happy." Edward closed his eyes, he didn't see the patronizing look on Satan's face.

"What happens to me?" Satan had been waiting for that question. The boy was a slobbering mess. His body wracked with sobbing shudders. Satan could feel the child's muscles tighten and his blood pressure rise as his heartbeat increased. If he didn't act soon, Satan was worried that Edward would expire before they could close the deal.

"What happens to you? You fall into a deep sleep. It's what you wanted. No more pain."

"How deep of a sleep?" Ah, the Devil thought, the boy is more cognizant than he anticipated.

"You won't feel a thing." He promised.

Edward nodded silently. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to feel nothing. "Okay," he said weakly, lowering he head submissively.

Satan's eyes grew dark. His breathing increased as he readied for the transfer. Possession was somewhat unknown to him, as he felt it was something usually left to lower level demons. Lucifer was familiar with most ancient languages such as Sumerian and Hurrian. However, he'd never felt the need to familiarize himself with Latin. In his opinion, it wasn't a particularly important language. Trusting that his minion wouldn't dare to cross him, he began to recite the words Aro had provided. The Latin words rolled from his tongue easily. As the spell began, Satan reached out and grabbed Edward's hand tightly. Edward started to struggle, but was quickly restrained. Satan's grip increased on his arm. He was pulled to his knees and was now kneeling in front of the _thing_ that was about to rattle around in his skin.

The air was thick with electricity. Edward could hardly breath. His lungs tightened with every stunted breath.

Satan's words swirled around Edward's head like a bunch of incessant killer bees. He struggled to stay upright as the foreign speech attacked his ears. Slowly his eyelids began to droop, his body began to sway and become sluggish as the Devil spoke the words to close their deal. Edward's mind reached out one more time. Visions of his father, brother and mother flashed before him. All of their pain from the past year was etched deeply onto their faces. Slowly, their faces changed. Leaving smiles and laughter where frowns and tears had been. The pain visually disappeared from their faces. Edward's heart began to lift as he watched his family heal. When Bella's face appeared, Edward's heart nearly stopped. Her smile was just as he'd remembered; bright, cheerful and so beautiful. If there had been a strength left in his body he would have sighed in contentment. He didn't have the energy to bat his eyelashes but he could feel his heart swell at the thought that his sacrifice now, would keep them safe.

"Et dimisit eum qui volens et imperium, suum ius non est anima eius assiduitate imperium"

The words had barely fallen from Satan's mouth before Edward's body suddenly stiffened, his arms flew backward as his back arched and his head fell back so far, he appeared to be folded in half. Edward's mouth opened as Satan's body pitched forward and began to disintegrate into a dark sand like substance. The sand arched into Edward's open mouth, filling him until he slumped forward onto the cold concrete.

Silence surrounded the lone figure left on the dock. He slowly unfolded himself from the ground, stretching muscles and tendons as he moved. Wasting no time, he began walking towards the car that was parked behind the walkway. The interior of the vehicle was as cold as the bench outside, surprisingly, the temperature bothered him. He supposed it was one of many things he would have to get used to. The car roared to life. Heat began to permeate the car, warming him. He put the car into reverse and quickly spun the wheels to face the direction that would take him to his swan.

It's done.

Until next time,

ruinedbyrob

For those wondering what Aro changed in the spell, here you go. _*The willing who has consented control retains his rights to the soul and can regain his control. *_


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N:** Thank you all for showing your support for TDP. I can't reply to every review but I read each one and they make my day! I cannot express how much you all mean to me.

Hugs and kisses to my amazing team, Sazzledazzled and Edwardsfirstkiss. Without them, this would one giant mess!

 **Disclaimer:** SM owns Twilight and Originalward. Devilward is mine.

* * *

 **The Devil's Plan**

 **Chapter 25**

 _ **The Devil You Know**_

"I wish to speak to Isabella."

"Do you know what time it is?" Charlie asked, wondering of the boy before him was drunk, high or just stupid.

"The time is of little concern to me. I wish to speak to Isabella. If you cannot manage that request, remove yourself and I'll find her myself."

"'Remove myself'?" Charlie repeated disbelievingly.

Devilward leaned closer to the bathrobe wearing man, looking deep into his dark eyes and repeated his demand in a cadence that defied the recipient to disregard the demand

Charlie leaned back from Devilward's encroachment into his personal space. "Son, I'm going to give you a second to think about what you said, and then I'm going to kick your ass off my front porch and counsel my daughter on her choice of a boyfriend!"

Devilward was forced to take a step back when the bathrobe wearing man slammed the door in his face.

Devilward angrily marched back to the ridiculous car that he was being forced to drive. He was beyond furious. How dare that mustached man keep him from his swan he huffed, kicking gravel out of his way like a child having a tantrum. Devilward slammed the door of Edward's car, tightly gripping the steering wheel.

"Goddammit!" Devilward screamed, unconcerned that Charlie's neighbors might hear him. He'd come to realize just how limited he was in his present form. While Lucifer was a supreme being who could flay the skin of a grown man with a flick of his finger, Edward Cullen was a mere mortal boy with neither power nor high self-esteem, if the boy's leftover feelings were to be believed. Lucifer was slowly coming to the vexing conclusion that he would be forced to alter his attitude in an attempt to fit in, to his never ending frustration, because he had no other choice. Edward Cullen was a mortal boy, bound by Earthly rules and rituals. Evidently one of those rituals was not going to the home of the female you intend to copulate with and demand her father bring her to you. Especially at a late hour on Christmas. As the elderly man informed him before rudely slamming the door in his face. Devilward's fists clenched in anger. He so wanted to teach that mortal some respect! He was the goddamn Devil! Why did these mortals not understand that he is to be obeyed?

Breathing as deeply as Edward's frail human lungs would allow, the Devil tried to calm himself. He would have to adapt if he wanted to attain his goal. He looked around the black as pitch neighborhood. There was a light snow falling to the ground creating an idyllic storybook appearance that was wholly lost on him. He glanced at the dashboard clock. It was two in the morning. The morning of the day Christ was supposedly born. Lucifer's lips curled into a sinister grin. If he were to have one ounce of satisfaction tonight it would be that Christians were celebrating on the wrong day. It was a wonderful piece of irony that they would choose to celebrate their savior's birth on the same calendar days a pagan holiday. Jesus's birth was of no consequence to him it was the very real death of the Lord that was crucial to his plans. Jesus's death was depicted correctly in the Bible and the date of that event is the one that he must be conscience of.

Sitting in a silver colored box on wheels, the Lord of Hell realized that he had no options open to him. He would have to retire to the boy's home, he could already feel the weariness of the day's events impact the child's body, and he needed to rest and maybe have a snack. Edward's stomach growled in agreement.

Tuning into Edward's memories and sense of direction, Lucifer maneuvered the car out of the Swan's driveway and towards the Cullen home.

 **~~~~TDP~~~~**

"I don't care what they'll think, if he's not home in ten minutes I'm calling the police!" Esme promised, clutching the half-full wine glass to her chest while shooting her husband a glare, daring him to contradict her. "We should never have allowed him to leave." She added in an accusatory tone.

Carlisle rubbed a hands over his eyes before setting his own drink on the low table that sat in front of him. "You saw me trying to stop him." He shot back.

Esme's eyes softened as she took in her husband's haggard appearance. "I know, I'm sorry. It's too much. He's had to deal with so much and now this?" She swept her hand up towards the staircase where Alec and Emmett were resting in Emmett's room. Carlisle stood up from the couch and walked over to his wife. He took the wine glass from her hand, setting it down next his drink and gently pulled here into his arms.

"I know. But Es, we can't suffer this for him. He has to come to terms with everything and work through it himself."

Esme pulled away and looked up into the blue eyes she had fallen in love with the first time she'd seen him walk into the campus library. She'd never seen a more handsome boy. They'd shared a study table that afternoon and a pizza that night. By the end of the day, she knew he was the man she'd share a life with. Esme had come from money. Carlisle had not. His fierce work ethic and determination to make something of himself was one of the most attractive things about him. Although his chiseled jaw, wide shoulders and lean build didn't hurt, his immense sympathy for the people he helped in the school clinic and his desire to make healing his life's work were the things that pushed her forever into his arms. Their marriage a scant year later had caused a bit of a rift between them. Her mother insisted on a big wedding befitting a 'Chicago Platt'. But Carlisle balked at every turn; wanting a small wedding that his lower middle-class parents would feel comfortable attending. Esme had been torn between her mother and Carlisle but had ultimately sided with him. Together they'd compromised on everything from where the ceremony would take place, what food was served to the size of the bridal party. The give and take they easily engaged in was commented on with admiration by everyone who saw it in action. They'd been able to keep that teamwork going as they had moved on. Fights happened of course, as they do with all couples, but with Esme and Carlisle, those rare occasions barely caused raised voices and they were resolved quickly. At least that's the way it had been before Tanya swooped in and destroyed their lives. Now, the rarity was if they weren't fighting and no longer were those occasions marked with barely raised voices. One of the reasons they purchased this particular house when they moved was its lack of close neighbors. There had been many embarrassing looks from the neighbors in Seattle. Not that Esme cared. She was past caring about what others thought and was instead more concerned about her family, specifically her baby. It had been Carlisle who had begun to channel her mother. So worried about what others thought and concerned about making a scene.

The man in front of her now, still bore the same blue eyes and the physique she remembered from college, but the lines around his eyes and face were new. She bore them as well. The stress this past year had put on them both was evident in their faces as well as their attitudes.

"Carlisle, he's just a-"

"Don't! Don't say he's just a kid. He made adult decisions and now he has to deal with the adult consequences." Esme angrily pulled completely out his arms and stood back against the window, facing him.

"Really? You think that adding a suicide to losing a child and being sexually used are consequences that a seventeen-year-old boy should be able to bear? What's wrong with you? Where's your compassion? Where's your parental concern?" She tried to keep her voice down, not wanting to the boys to hear her.

Carlisle's eyes narrowed and his jaw began to clench as he absorbed what she'd said. " **I** quit my job, **we** moved the whole family to make things easier for him. Don't you dare accuse **me** of not having parental concern." He didn't yell but the tenor of his voice conveyed his anger.

"Yes, you sacrificed. We all sacrificed, but don't you see? This is our fault."

"What are you talking about? How is Edward fucking your married best friend, our fault?" Esme pursed her lips together and narrowed her eyes at her husband.

"Because we weren't there for him! You were too busy with the hospital and I was so wound up in my work and friends that we were never there for him."

"That's a crock of shit!" Carlisle countered, shaking his head angrily.

"Is it? Did you attend any of his golf matches last year? Were you sitting in the front row when he took first place in the All-State piano competition last January? No. You weren't there and neither was I. We didn't even notice that our sixteen year-old son was sneaking off to have sex with Tanya when we were all sharing the same beach house," she said, her voice dropping at the end. She turned her eyes to the father of her children, with tears in her eyes she asked, "How can you not feel responsible?"

"Es, I-"

What Carlisle was going to say was abruptly cut off when their front door opened and then slammed shut so forcibly, the windows shook.

"Edward?!" Esme called out, hurrying towards the hallway, where she threw her arms around her returning son. She was so relieved to see him that she didn't notice he wasn't returning her hug.

"Thank God you're alright." She breathed into the collar of his cold coat.

"I assure you, God had nothing to do with it." Devilward huffed, pulling away from the irritating woman that was in his personal space.

"Young man, where have you been? Your mother has been worried sick about you!" Carlisle demanded, walking quickly towards his wife and son. "Hand me your car keys you're ground-"Carlisle stopped mid-sentence when his son turned his face towards him. He'd never seen such malice in a human's eyes.

"-Grounded? You're going to ground me? Do you think a threat like that would affect me?" Devilward reared his head back laughing loudly.

Angered at the outburst, Carlisle moved forward to grab his son's arm, "Do not mock me. I'm your father. You will respect me in my house!" Devilward easily threw off Carlisle's restraining arm.

Ignoring the shocked and bewildered looks of both parents, Devilward moved past them to walk up the stairs towards the child's room, stopping midway to turn and address the still speechless Esme and Carlisle. "I will require much sustenance in the morning, until then I do not wish to be disturbed."

With mouths agape, Esme and Carlisle silently watched their son walk into the darkness of the hallway.

 **~~~~TDP~~~~**

Most people can imagine how it would feel to wake up in a strange room. It's disorientating and evokes moments of awkwardness as one tries to regain their bearings. Most however, cannot include the disorientation and terror of understanding that you're physically present but not able to communicate to anyone around you as your body moves around familiar settings and interacts with family and friends. Edward Cullen was one of the few who knew how it felt to be present but not known.

His body and mind were sharing space with another entity. That much he knew. He also knew that he was home in his bedroom. A fact made known to him as his head moved from side to side and his eyes took in his surroundings. He could feel the pressure of his hands as they rubbed at his eyes, but he hadn't been the one to direct their actions. Edward was in a darkened room with nothing but space around him. He thought that if he were to yell out, his voice would return to him as an echo. He couldn't see any part of his body.

He was a spectator to his life and he was terrified.

He felt his body lift up from his bed and watched as it walked towards the adjoining bathroom. He tried in vain to stop his movement but his body disobeyed him and continued towards the toilet. A sigh of relief followed by a loud declaration of disappointment echoed in his dark prison. Why was he angry that he had to pee? And why was the size of his penis disappointing? Edward could began to sway, his head felt as if it were in a vice with someone constantly turning the screw. He tried to force his hands to his head to no avail. They continued to scratch his scrotum.

" _HELP!"_ Edward screamed into the darkness.

"Oh, you're up." A voice he vaguely remembered echoed in his ears. "I'm impressed. Most vessels sleep for several days. Still, as long as you're awake, what the hell is up with your dick?" Edward felt his head move downwards until his flaccid penis came into view. "Why is it so soft? I thought human males your age were in a constant state of arousal." The voice commented while poking at the limp member with a finger Edward recognized as his own.

" _What is happening?!"_ Edward screamed, he felt his sanity begin to slip.

Once again he felt his body move. Suddenly he was standing in front of the mirror, it was his face staring back at him and he recognized the green plaid pajama pants and white tee-shirt he was wearing but the malicious grin was foreign.

Edward gasped as the full realization of what was happening hit him.

"Ahhh, now you're up to speed." The face in the mirror said in a mocking tone. "Again, Edward, I'm impressed. From what I've heard around the office, Vessels usually fight the truth a lot longer than you." Devilward said, washing his hands and wiping them quickly on his pants. "So far, you've blown the learning curve. Smart boy." He added with a wink.

" _What is going on? How can I hear you?!"_ Edward asked alarmingly.

"Because I'm you." The Devil said, leaving the bathroom and reentering Edward's room.

" _How can you hear me?"_

"Because you're me. Really Edward, you're already making me regret that compliment." Edward felt as if he were going to vomit, though he suspected that was impossible since he didn't have an actual body.

"Seriously? You still have a body although I'm in control of it. Does that clear things up?"

" _NO!"_ Edward screamed as loudly as he could manage, causing a sharp stab of pain in his right temple. Lucifer clutched the right side of his borrowed head.

"Whoa. Settle down." Lucifer demanded, not happy about how the boy was able to affect him. He didn't have time to coddle his vessel. "You're a passenger on this ride. I can and will permanently harm you, your family and friends if you don't calm the fuck down!"

His threat hit home. Edward immediately stopped screaming.

"Good," Lucifer said with an appreciative head nod as Edward's stomach grumbled loudly. "Fuck, that's annoying." He complained, rubbing Edward's grumbling stomach. Edward remained silent as they moved out of his room down the stairs and into the kitchen where his parents were seated around the island sipping coffee. Edward wanted to weep at the expressions on their faces. Their red rimmed eyes, dark circles and sallow complexions bespoke the fact that neither had gotten much sleep the night before. He understood that their pained appearance was his fault and as that realization weighed on him, he felt himself drifting into blackness, pulling into a sleep like stasis.

"Where's the food?" Devilward demanded, sounding every inch the teenaged-boy he was pretending to be. "I'm hungry. I must eat." He added with noted disdain.

Esme immediately moved to get up from her chair when Carlisle's hand darted out to grab her wrist and pull her back down.

"Your mother had a rough night, no thanks to you. If you're hungry fix yourself some cereal," he said, nodding towards the refrigerator.

"You expect me to serve myself?" Devilward asked, taken aback by Carlisle's order. "That's ridiculous!"

"You listen here, I've had just about enough of your new attitude!" Carlisle said, pointing a finger in his youngest child's direction before moving to get up from his chair, it was Esme's soft hand on his arm that redirected his anger from his son to her tired face.

"Carlisle, please. Let's not fight. It's Christmas and I could really use a quiet morning."

Carlisle let out a deep breath and say back down. "Fine," he said looking at his son with hard eyes. "But you and I will be discussing your attitude later." He promised.

"Edward, can I make you oatmeal or scrambled eggs? I'm not really up to the task of our traditional breakfast." Esme got up from the table and moved towards the refrigerator. Her slow and painful gait looked like that of a woman twenty years her senior.

"I will eat your offering of eggs." Devilward stated, causing another hard look from Carlisle and a indifferent nod from Esme.

Devilward took Esme's abandoned seat. He picked up her coffee cup, sniffing the contents. "I will also need a cup of this," he said, holding up the coffee cup.

"You know where the pot is." Carlisle snorted, returning to his attention to the morning paper.

Devilward waited for Esme to bring him a cup of the potent elixir but her attention was focused solely on putting together a meal for her family. With a huff, he got up and retrieved a cup of coffee. Although he was not a human, he had spent enough time with humans to know what coffee was. He was not completely ignorant of regular human life. He returned to the table just as Esme placed a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon in front of both him and Carlisle.

"Thank you, "Carlisle said to his wife. His thanks was returned with a small smile before she returned to the stove. "What do you say?" He asked his son, who was shoveling the food into his mouth as if he'd not eaten in weeks. Devilward looked up at Carlisle quizzically before dismissing him and returning to his food.

"Edward, thank your mother!"

"Carlisle, please let it go." Esme pleaded. She didn't know what to make of her son this morning. But she knew that Edward not thanking her for breakfast was the least of her problems. There were two boys upstairs that would be waking up any moment and their presence had the potential to make things a lot worse. No sooner had the thought left her head when the footsteps of Emmett and Alec could be heard on the stairs. Kodi, who had slept in Emmett's room last night also bounded into the room, excited to see that his boy was back.

"Mom, what's for breakfast?" Emmett asked as the boys rounded the corner. "Oh look, the prodigal son has returned." Emmett sneered in Devilward's direction.

"Emmett, don't start!" Carlisle warned, shooting both boys a quick look. Emmett nodded reluctantly, sneering in his brother's direction before taking his his seat in a huff as Alex sat beside him.

Carlisle's voice softened as he looked at the dark haired boy. "Alec, your Uncle Caius called after you went to bed last night. He should be here in an hour or so to pick you up." Alec nodded silently, staring at the table top. "I also spoke to your father. He's, um, he's going to see you after New Years as planned. You'll stay with Caius until then." Carlisle was furious that his old friend and mentor refused to cut his vacation short and attend to his grieving son. Marcus had expressed almost no grief over hearing of Tanya's death. His callousness made Carlisle think that perhaps his admiration for the man had been sorely misplaced. He laid a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder. "If you need anything, you call us. We'll always be here for you." He promised, as Esme echoed his sentiments with a hug and kiss to the boy's head.

"So, what was it like to watch the life drain from your mother's body?" Devilward asked with a malicious grin.

"You bastard!" Alec screamed before launching himself towards the smirking boy. Emmett and Carlisle jumped up to restrain him while Esme moved quickly to stand defensively next to her son.

"I'm the bastard?" Devilward asked pointing a finger at Esme. "I think we're all in agreement that Esme is my mother but you my friend, well, do you really think Tanya only cheated just the one time?"

Alec emitted an animalistic howl but Carlisle and Emmett had a tight hold on the emotional boy.

"Edward!" Esme gasped, putting her hand over her mouth in shock at the horrible words he'd said.

"What the hell has gotten into you?" Carlisle asked as he stared in disbelief at his son. Edward had never acted this way before.

"Me?! What's gotten into me? I'm sorry was I supposed to break bread with the boy that was allowed to pummel me a few scant hours ago? I had no idea that my role in this whole act was to continue as the punching bag. Here let me get into position." Devilward got up from the table, standing at Edward's full six foot-two height. He was slightly amused the others all had to look up at him. Edward hadn't been using his height to his advantage. That was something the Devil planned to change. "There," He said, as he moved within arm's reach of Alec. "Take your best shot, just beware that I will fight back." He promised with a hateful grin. Everyone but Devilward took a step back. None of them had ever seen Edward act in such an aggressive manner. To say they were taken aback by his actions was an understatement.

The atmosphere in the usually bright and cheerful room seemed to turn dark and oppressive, as if someone had thrown a dank, heavy quilt over the occupants. All but Devilward felt the change as he continued to glare in Alec's direction.

"Edward, please go sit in the other room," Carlisle said. "Alec's uncle will be here soon and then we can get things settled and back to normal. Whatever normal is anymore." Carlisle's muscles were tense as he pleaded with his son. The last thing anyone needed was another fight. While he understood Edward's animosity towards Alec. His first concern was the boy who had watched his mother die.

"Edward, let's do as your father is asking. Come into the living room. I'll bring you some hot chocolate." Esme moved quickly to the refrigerator, getting the milk and chocolate syrup out. "I've turned the tree lights on and there are some treats laid out." She continued as she prepared his drink.

Devilward, moved so swiftly everyone at the table jumped back, startled by his movement. He didn't bother to hide his smirk of satisfaction as he left the room. He'd visited Earth a million times, but never once had he been there on the day they celebrated the birth of their savior. Looking around the decorated home, he decided he quite liked the colorful lights and shiny trinkets strewn around. Devilward settled himself into the couch, sinking into the plushness of the high end leather. He looked out onto the Cullen's living room, his eyes silently approving of the richness of the room. The Devil enjoyed being surrounded by expensive and pretty things. Given that his dark kingdom was the opposite of what one would consider remotely comfortable, he was pleased that his _borrowed_ home would afford to house him in the luxurious style he deserved.

Carlisle watched in relief as his son left the room. He noticed Emmett and Alec's shoulder's relax as well with Edward's departure. Something was going on. The Edward that had just left the room wasn't someone he recognized.

A low whimpering caught his attention. He looked under the table to find a very confused looking Kodi laying at his feet. The poor animal looked confused and a bit scared.

"What's wrong buddy?" Carlisle asked the whimpering animal, as he leaned down to pat his silky head. Kodi accepted the affection but his eyes darted back and forth from Carlisle to the doorway that Edward had recently gone through. "You don't want to go with Edward?" He asked, curiously. Edward was rarely seen without the pup in tow. Edward's disappearance the night before had sent the little guy into a depression that only lifted when Emmett scooped him up, and took him to his room for the night. This morning, Kodi had made a concentrated effort to avoid Edward, Carlisle realized. Even now he was choosing not to follow his favorite person.

"Something's not right about him." Carlisle confided to the still cowering pup. "I sense it too."

* * *

 **So, what did you think about Devilward?**

 **Until next time,**

 **ruinedbyrob**

 **Stories I'm LOVING:**

 **A Servant Wife by Shouldbecleaning**

 **Uprising by PattyRosa**

 **Red Ranger by 2brown-eyes**


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N:** I should be beaten soundly for making you wait so long for this update. I can only offer my sincerest apologies for the wait. RL has decided to put up road blocks to my writing on a daily basis. Rest assured I have not and WILL not give up. I'll continue to push through! I ask you all to stick with me. We're getting to the good part!

Sazzle Dazzled and Edward's First Kiss, thank you for adding your talents to my cause. I truly appreciate you both!

 **Disclaimer:** SM owns Twilight. Devilward is mine.

* * *

 **The Devil's Plan**

Chapter 26

 ** _Changes in Attitude_**

"I know you boys might be disappointed in Christmas this year…" Esme's voice faltered, as she lowered her head as if she couldn't bear to look at her two children. After seeing Alec out when his uncle arrived, Esme, Carlisle and Emmett had joined Edward in the living room. Grudgingly, Kodi had followed, keeping close to Esme and a watchful eye on Edward. Esme had originally intended to keep their holiday as normal as possible, but the events of the past night had burned that plan to the ground. Now all she wanted to do was to forget that past 24 hours had happened and sleep for as long as possible.

"After last night and this morning, I think we can all understand how difficult today is for everyone." Carlisle finished Esme's thought. Esme nodded appreciatively before moving to sit in the large wingback chair close to the Christmas tree. Kodi moved to sit protectively at her feet while keeping a wary eye on Edward.

Esme shifted in her seat and surveyed her family. Carlisle was seated in the opposite chair while Edward and Emmett shared the large couch, albeit they were sitting as far from each other as possible, facing the front window and the Christmas tree. Her husband and Emmett looked angry while Edward looked put out. As if being in the same room with them was taxing his good nature. Normally, Esme would look for a way to lift her son's mood. She knew he had to be hurting. Last night before he'd run off, his pain was clearly evident on his face and in his mannerisms. Today, she barely recognized the young man sitting across from her. Edward had always been an easy-going child. He was generally calm and thoughtful; never quick to get angry. He rarely raised his voice or use vulgar language, but this morning he'd done all of that and more. Calling Alec out the way he had was cruel and so unlike her Edward. She knew that Alec had acted out of pain. The mother in her wanted to cuddle and soothe that boy. He'd been through so much and was now practically an orphan. Marcus had all but abandoned him after Tanya's betrayal and now that she'd taken her own life, he must have felt completely alone. But she'd not allow her empathy for Alec to excuse the pain he'd caused her son.

Esme's eyes drifted back to Edward. His arms were crossed tightly over his chest in an uncharacteristically defensive manner. Edward's eyes darted to his mother. Esme found herself shaken by the darkness reflected back at her. For the first time since the Tanya disaster had occurred, she saw what looked like contempt and hatred in Edward's eyes. She'd always known that sooner or later he would come to the realization that as his mother she should have been there for him instead of Tanya and would lay the blame at her feet. But she'd been lulled into a false sense of hope over the past six months. Edward blamed himself. He'd taken on all the responsibility for the affair. Even though Tanya had clearly been the instigator, Edward made apologies and excuses for her behavior. Now it looked as if the damn had broken. Alec had attacked Edward last night and she'd been powerless to stop him; and just as powerless when her baby had walked out of the house looking as desperate as she'd ever seen him. This morning the desperation that had been on his face was gone, and what replaced it scared Esme.

"-So that's the plan. We'll leave right after school is out; just the four of us." Carlisle's eyes darted to Emmett, making sure he understood that his girlfriend was not invited. "Right Esme?"

Esme was pulled out of her stupor by Carlisle's question. "I'm sorry. What?"

"I just explained to the boys that our trip to Hawaii would be sans girlfriends," Carlisle said, irritated by her lack of attention. It had been her idea to forgo Christmas presents in lieu of a lavish weeks' vacation in Hawaii.

Esme nodded. "Yes. I think the family needs to spend time together."

"A week with only Edweird for company? I'd rather throw myself off a cliff! If Rose can't go, I'm not going. This whole thing is bull shit!" Emmett stated, throwing a glare in his brother's direction before quickly retreating to his room.

Carlisle immediately got up from his chair and followed Emmett out of the room muttering, "Merry fucking Christmas to us. I need a damn drink!"

It was all Esme could do to hold herself together as once again, her family appeared to be falling apart.

"Edward, I'm sorry this day has turned out so badly." Esme felt the need to apologize to someone for how disappointing the day had started. Not that she'd held out much hope that they'd spend Christmas gathered around the tree singing along to holiday music, drinking festive beverages and indulging in decadent treats while enjoying each other's company. No. She was too pragmatic to hope for that idyllic family scene. But she had hoped to avoid someone threatening to boycott their dream vacation, a door slamming and alcohol use before noon.

Devilward turned towards Esme. His lips curled at the end. To Esme he appeared to be grinning sardonically. "I wouldn't say that this day turned out badly. In fact except for being denied an audience with my Swan, I cannot think of a better way to observe the so -called savior's birth."

Esme was stunned by his words. She had no idea what to make of his strange statement. She watched in silence as he got up from the couch and ambled towards the stairway. There was almost a swagger to his walk. Esme's attention was caught by a low grumbling coming from Kodi. He hadn't moved from his position at her feet and was staring menacingly at the boy she barely recognized as her son.

 **~~~TDP~~~**

"Go away!" Emmett screamed at whoever dared to interrupt his solitude.

"I wish to have Ast-Rosalie's number." Devilward's demand bounced back at him off the closed door. He waited almost ten seconds before pounding on the wooden barrier before him.

Suddenly the door was wrenched open. "Look asshole, I've had enough of your shit!" Emmett's fist was raised, poised to hit whoever had the misfortune to be in front of him. "You're more than due for a smackdown!" Devilward's cocky grin only enraged the larger boy. Emmett swung his right hand towards Edward's face, Devilward moved swiftly to his left, causing Emmett to fall slightly forward enough to lose his footing. Devilward took the opportunity to push him further off kilter with a push to his back. In his anger, Emmett's athleticism abandoned him. He fell heavily to the floor. Devilward pounced, putting Emmett in a headlock. Emmett immediately began to struggle, only to have the arm around his neck tighten. Devilward, pulled the heavier boy up from the floor. Emmett was on his knees with his back pulled tightly to Devilward's front. Emmett had always been the stronger of the brothers. Edward had never been able to match his strength. Until now.

"What the fu-?" Emmett's question was cut off by the arm now pressing heavily against his windpipe.

"Call her." Devilward demanded. Emmett struggled to breathe as Devilward tightened his arm, Emmett began to feel lightheaded.

Edward's cell phone appeared in front of Emmett's face. "Do it now."

Emmett gasped for air; dark spots began to appear in front of his eyes. His brain barely had enough power to process the fact that his younger brother was choking him to death.

"Now!" Emmett didn't hesitate, he grabbed the phone and dialed Rose's number. The phone hadn't even connected before Devilward grabbed the phone and released his hold on Emmett.

Emmett fell roughly onto his hands gasping for air as Devilward brought the phone up to his ear.

"Who the hell is this?" Astarte's asked.

"I'm being kept from my Swan. Fix it," Devilward spat into the phone. He didn't bother to wait for her reaction before disconnecting the call.

"There, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Devilward leaned down and condescendingly patted the still gasping Emmett on his head, before heading towards Edward's room.

Emmett got up from the floor, using the wall for leverage. When he'd finally been able to get himself back inside his room, he shut the door and sat down onto his bed. "What the fuck just happened?" He whispered with wide panicked eyes.

 **~~~TDP~~~**

"Ba'al!" Astarte screamed. The disconnected phone shook in her hand.

The door to her bedroom hit the wall as Ba'al pushed it open. "What?!" He asked, looking around the room for whatever had caused her panic.

"He's here!" Was her reply as the blood ran from his face, leaving him looking as pale and scared as she was.

 **~~~TDP~~~**

"Are you going to sit there and stare at your phone all day or are you going to call him?" Charlie asked his daughter for the fifth time in less than an hour. He wasn't particularly excited about Bella contacting the Cullen boy, at least not after last night's visit, but he was having a difficult time enjoying his holiday with his daughter looking so distraught. He was almost ready to call the kid himself and give him an earful.

"I don't know." Was her quiet reply. Bella had fought with herself all night with how to handle Edward's sudden silence. She wanted to demand an explanation and let him know how much he'd hurt her. But then again, she knew how much this time of year weighed on him and understood that he might need a little time to himself. But dammit, she needed him too and couples leaned on each other. The whole thing was giving her a headache.

"Well, if you ask me the kid needs to learn some manners and if he's not going to treat you right, then I'm all for you dropping the little turd." Bella frowned at her dad's statement. Since the moment they had left their house and arrived at Billy's to celebrate the holiday, he'd made snide comments about Edward's character. She knew why she was upset with Edward, but Charlie's sudden bad attitude was surprising.

"Dad, stop." She ordered sternly. Charlie quickly bit back his next statement. He could see the pain in her eyes, as upset as he was at Edward; he wasn't going to add to it. Instead, he held up his hands in the universal 'I give up' motion and backed away from her.

"Fine. But if you're not going to call him then stop with the frowning and join the rest of us." Bella watched her father walk away to join the Black and Clearwater families. She could hear the sounds of their merriment coming from the living room where holiday cheer was in full swing.

 _This is stupid._ _I should be enjoying Christmas with my family and friends._ Bella though to herself. She took a deep breath and set her phone down on the table. She would deal with her silent boyfriend later.

As Bella turned her back and walked out of the room, her phone lit up. Edward's face appeared on the screen.

 **~~~TDP~~~**

Esme had been more than shocked to hear their doorbell chime followed by rapid and incessant knocking. Putting her wine glass down, she left the kitchen and answered the door only to find her oldest son's girlfriend and her brother at her door. She hadn't even been able to ask what the Hale's were doing there before she heard a deep voice she didn't recognize as her youngest son demanded they join him upstairs. She silently watched both teens follow Edward's demand. Esme opened her mouth to ask just what the hell was going on but ultimately shook her head in in bewilderment and returned to the empty kitchen and her full glass.

"Why is she not answering?!" Devilward screamed, throwing Edward's phone onto the bed. Astarte and Ba'al shot each other a worried glance.

"Why is my Swan not picking up the phone?" His irritation at Bella ignoring his calls was beyond frustrating.

"Sire, as we told you, today is a day reserved for families. Most humans do not make time for others." Ba'al answered.

Devilward shot him a hard glare. "Do you think I need to be reminded what these humans celebrate today! Think you that I have forgotten they're celebrating _his_ birth? The birth of the one that sits in _my_ rightful place?!" His anger was frightening. Ba'al counted himself lucky that Satan's wrath was bound heavily while he inhabited Edward's body. For surely if they were in Hell, he'd be without his skin and nailed to the nearest wall.

"I'm not an _'other'_. I'm her master and she will bow down to me!" Devilward snarled.

"Sire, I understand that you're upset but tis one day. We will find her tomorrow. You will be united with your Swan in mere hours." Ba'al promised, looking to Astarte to confirm his statement. She was being uncharacteristically quiet. He motioned his head at Devilward, urging her say something.

She shook her head quickly, dismissing him and rushed from the room.

"Where is she going?" Devilward asked, watching Astarte's retreat.

"She had to pee." Ba'al lied quickly.

Devilward nodded thoughtfully. "I'm finding that part of being human extremely annoying. As well as sleeping and the constant gnawing of my bowels." He added, rubbing his stomach. Ba'al had to hold in his laughter at Satan's complaining. He seemed more like a small child than a millennium old fallen angel.

"Yes, Sire, human feedings can be quite time consuming; especially for a male teen human. They seem to need the most food."

"Indeed." Satan nodded his head in agreement. "I would also like you to take a look and explain to me what is wrong with this boy's cock."

 **~~~TDP~~~**

Astarte leaned against the wall just outside of Edward's room. Something was wrong; very wrong for Bella to have ignored a call from Edward. She knew enough about being a female in this time that not even the holiest of days would keep a human girl from speaking to her boyfriend. Something had caused a rift between the two love birds and if she didn't figure it out, there was no telling what Satan might do.

She moved swiftly to knock on Emmett's door.

"Fuck off Edward!" Astarte giggled slightly at his statement. He must have had a run in with his _new and improved_ brother _._

"It's me baby." She cooed into the door. Immediately the sounds of rustling bed clothes were heard before the door swung open.

"Oh my God! I'm so happy to see you." Emmett exclaimed, grabbing Rosalie around the waist and dragging her up against him. "I can't tell you what an incredibly fucked up day this has been." He murmured into her neck as he hugged her tightly to him. "Something is going on with Edward, mom and dad cancelled Christmas, Alec lost his mom and…"

"Shhhhh." Astarte cooed into his ear, as she tried to calm him. She legitimately wanted to soothe him but in order to save them all from more hurt, she needed to know what had happened between Edward and Bella. "Love, you said something was wrong with Edward, tell me." The large man in her arms shuddered and tightened his arms. Gently, she pushed and pulled at him until he'd pulled away enough that she could look at him. Astarte had seen horrible things in her lifetime. She had seen the ravages of war and famine played out on the human body. Once she was banished to the bowels of Hell, she'd seen things that haunted her even more than what she'd witnessed as a demi-god. Yet, she'd never intervened or tried to relieve the pain of those afflicted. But when she saw the red marks on Emmett's neck, heard the hoarseness of his damaged vocal chords and saw the pain in his eyes, swells of sympathy washed over her. She knew that she would do anything to keep the boy in her arms safe. Even if it meant she had to work with The Devil himself.

"Come sit down. Tell me what happened." Emmett meekly followed her to his bed and sat down, never letting go of her hand.

"He attacked me." Emmett's words came out in a rush as if he were still struggling to believe what had happened.

"Why?"

"I don't know!" Emmett exclaimed abruptly, jumping up from the bed. "He was pounding on my door like a lunatic. When I opened it, he demanded your number and when I wouldn't give it to him-he choked me." Emmett touched the red welt on his neck. "I couldn't breathe, Rose. I was legitimately losing consciousness and he didn't care, he just tightened his arm against my neck." Emmett's voice lowered. "How did he get so strong? And why did he want your number?"

She ignored his question about her number and couldn't tell him that his brother was playing host to evil incarnate and not only was he stronger but the evil inside him was plotting to end all life on Earth as he knew it. Instead, she rocked him in her arms, wanting to comfort him while trying to figure out a way to get the information she needed in order to placate the devil in the next room.

"I'm so sorry," she said, placing a kiss on the side of his head. "Em, is something going on with him and Bella?"

Emmett pulled away from her embrace. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"I'm just trying to figure out why he became so violent with you." She lied. Holding her tongue. She couldn't very well remind him that that Edward had many reasons to fight back against his brother's cruelty.

"I don't know," he said with growing frustration. Why was his girlfriend worried about Edward's relationship? She should only be concerned with him.

"Emmett, think." She ordered him sternly.

"Dammit I don't know. I haven't seen her around here for a couple of days. I heard he had another fucking breakdown and she left." Emmett remembered his mother talking to his father in the kitchen that day. She was crying again as she reminded his dad about the grandchild they'd lost and how it was still affecting his brother. Emmett hated to hear his mother cry. He could feel her pain and knew that in the past he'd added to it. But his stubbornness and anger had kept him from soothing her. Instead, he'd run upstairs to hide in his room. Stopping momentarily at his brother's door, Emmett had heard Edward's sobs echoing his mother's. His arm had raised to knock on Edward's door, the big brother in him responding to a little brother's pain. But as he gazed on the door and hallway that had only been their home for a few months, his anger over their move was rekindled and his heart hardened. He'd walked past Edward's room into his own and turned on his favorite playlist as loudly as his ears could handle it; he'd stared into the darkness stewing in his own pain.

Rosalie took a deep breath, wracking her brain for a new tactic to try. "Emmett, maybe it's time you started to forgive him."

The look on Emmett's face could only be described as complete confusion. "What the hell, Rose? Forgive him?"

"Look, I know that would he did caused you pain-"

"Caused me pain? He ruined my fucking life! I lost my friends, my team, everything I've ever known!" Emmett fumed. Why did no one ever worry about what Edward's actions had caused him? Why didn't anyone care about him? Emmett had struggled with his ever changing feelings regarding his brother for months. His anger had been fueled to rage when his parents announced they were moving; and had only softened when they'd gotten Kodi. Remembering thei first puppy had reminded him of the bond he used to have with his little brother, but that bond was easily pushed aside when he was reminded of Edward's crimes and what they had caused him to lose.

Rosalie knew that in order to fulfill her duty to Satan, she had to get Emmett to change his feelings toward his brother and accept the one hundred and eighty turn in her attitude towards the boy.

"I just think that it's time to heal your family." She got up from his bed and walked seductively towards the clearly angry boy. Despite his frustration, he was powerless to ignore the sway of her hips and the gentle bounce of her breasts. Human males were so easy she thought as she licked her lips and smiled. Rosalie ran her fingernail up the front of his shirt, lifting her eyes to meet his lusty gaze.

"Maybe instead of thinking about what you lost," she said, slipping her hand behind his neck, pulling his head closer so she could whisper into his ear. "You should be grateful for who you've gained." She nipped his ear lobe before kissing down and across his jaw line until she got to his lips. Emmett quickly captured her lips in a bruising kiss. Her teasing had done its job. Emmett's hands came down to roughly grab her hips, pulling her tightly into him. Rosalie couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips as Emmett plundered her mouth.

The two kissed for several minutes. Emmett's hands roamed possessively over her lower body. When her skirt began to edge up, she knew she had to slow him down. Satan and Ba'al were waiting for her in the next room. The Devil would not be pleased to know he'd been kept waiting while she and Emmett indulged in a quickie.

Panting, Rose pulled away from his demanding kiss and tried to push him from her. "Babe, we can't."

"Why the fuck not?" He demanded through clenched teeth. After the day-no, two days he'd had, he needed to either hit or fuck someone. He could feel the pent up tension practically pulse through his veins.

"It's Christmas." She explained, lamely. This day held no special meaning to her but from what she knew of the Christian religion, even a man as horny as Emmett would think twice before defiling Christmas.

"Fuck." He moaned slowly, pulling away from her. "You're right. On all counts." He added.

"So, why don't we do something good? That's the point of today, right? We do a good deed?"

"Um, I guess you could say that," he said, petulantly. Still hoping for sex.

"Maybe we should start with trying to help Edward?"

"Babe, while I may agree that fucking you up against the wall is not a very Christmas like activity, I don't know that I'm ready to be that little turd's best friend." He spat, shaking his head in disbelief at her suggestion.

"You don't have to be his best friend," she purred, putting her hand on his chest. "You just need to stop being his enemy." Emmett regarded his girlfriend carefully. Specifically, he regarded her long, shapely legs, wide hips, slim waist and perfectly proportioned chest. He had to admit that the move to Forks, had ended up with a huge win for him on the girlfriend front.

"Okay; I'll try." He agreed unenthusiastically with a slight nod.

 **~~~TDP~~~**

"Merry Christmas!" Bella and Charlie called out in unison to the Black clan as they climbed into Charlie's car.

"That was nice." Charlie commented as he gave a final wave to his best friend's family and maneuvered the car out of Billy's driveway and onto the road that would take them out of the reservation and back to Forks.

"Yes, it was." Bella agreed. The day had been very nice. She'd forgotten how much she enjoyed the twins' company.

"You know, if things don't work out with that Cullen kid, I think you have quite an admirer in Jacob."

Bella sighed loudly and rolled her eyes in her seat. Charlie had been pushing the younger boy on her all day. As much as she enjoyed the attention and honestly liked Jacob, and despite the hurt she was not breaking up with Edward. A fact that it appeared her father needed to know.

"Dad, I'm not breaking up with Edward," Bella said turning to face her father. "I don't know why you keep bringing it up." She huffed from her seat, crossing her arms over-playing her discontent. If the boy's attitude hadn't been so infuriating last night, he might be tempted to laugh at her display. But he was getting bad vibes from Edward Cullen

"I just think that in light of how you've been moping over his lack of attention the last couple of days, you might want to rethink your relationship. He sounds flighty and immature to me."

Bella sighed again and uncrossed her arms. She rubbed her temples, attempting to dissipate the headache she could feel forming. She understood why her father would think that. Edward's lack of communication had once again caused her to be upset, an emotion that she was not able to hide from her father. But Edward was far from flighty. Despite the feelings of guilt that he still harbored, Edward had persevered through more at the age of seventeen than most adults would tackle in their lifetimes.

"He's not flighty or immature. You don't know him like I do." She snapped.

"Well, then why aren't you returning his calls?" He quickly countered.

Bella ran her fingers over the phone in her pocket. Its smooth cool edges were comforting in a way she couldn't explain to Charlie. She was upset that Edward had gone silent on her, again. No matter how well she understood the roller coaster his emotions were riding, it still hurt when he turned away from her to heal on his own. It made her feel inconsequential to him. Still, knowing that the phone in her pocket contained messages from him, messages that would no doubt explain his non-communicative status over the last two days gave her a bit of comfort. Still, his question about why she hadn't returned his calls the minute they'd arrived, gave her pause. Was she the immature one by wanting him to need her? Did she stay silent hoping that perhaps he would feel the rejection that his silence was causing her to feel?

Perhaps.

Just a little.

Charlie pulled into the driveway, parking the car. He got out, reaching around to grab the small pile of leftovers from the back seat. "Are you coming in?"

Bella nodded. "Soon; I have a phone call to make." Charlie, pursed his lips but said nothing.

Bella waited until she heard the front door close before taking her phone out of her pocket. She opened it to see that Edward had called her three more times since she'd turned the phone off over two hours ago. Bella took a moment to gather her thoughts before dialing his number.

"Why have you not returned my calls?!" The demanding question greeted her after the first ring.

Bella recoiled at the force of his voice.

"Isabella, answer me! When I summon you, you will comply!" Bella had never heard that tone from him. She almost pulled the phone back so she could check the number. Surely the rude and rough voice on the other end belonged to someone else that happened to have a girlfriend named Isabella? Her Edward wouldn't talk to her in that manner. _Especially_ when he'd been the one not returning phone calls for the last two days!

"Excuse me?"

"Is there something wrong with your hearing? Where have you been?" He asked, completely ignoring her question.

"There is something wrong with my hearing if I understand your tone correctly! How dare you give me that kind of attitude!" Bella made her own demand, fed up with his attitude. She loved him, but she would not allow him to get away with this kind of crap. She heard him take a large intake of breath on the other end. Just as she was about to hang up and tell him to call her once he regained his senses, there was the sound of a scuffle and then muffled voices, sounding as if someone were arguing with him. She strained to hear that was being said but was unable to make out any other voices but Edward's. Bella had decided to just hang up when Edward spoke again. This time in a somewhat gentler, but still clipped tone.

"Isabella, I have been informed that my previous tone may have appeared to be out of line." He huffed; clearly not convinced he was in the wrong. Bella assumed that he was trying to apologize but even his new tone had her on edge. "If you were offended, you were wrong –"Again she heard more whispering, but she'd had enough and didn't bother to wait for him to resume speaking.

"You know what Edward, why don't we both get some sleep and in the morning you can apologize to me for ignoring and then offending me."

"Ignoring you? It was you that- She hung up on me the little snipe!" Devilward exclaimed incredulously. His eyes were practically blazing with anger as he glared at the phone.

If his own eternity didn't hinge on Satan getting what he wanted, he'd laugh at the look of pure astonishment on Satan's face. Instead Ba'al sat heavily onto Edward's bed, rubbing his forehead. Satan had everything he'd wanted. He'd been manipulating events and people's lives for thousands of years to get to this point. And it all teetered on the verge of destruction because he wasn't capable of curbing his arrogance or temper long enough to deal with a teenaged girl.

 **~~~TDP~~~**

" _Bella?"_ Edward asked into the darkness. He tried to focus on her voice but she kept coming in and out like a badly received AM radio station. Yet, he was sure it was her. Edward flailed around in the dark looking for anything that he could grab onto. There was nothing. He was floating weightless in the dark.

Bella had sounded upset. Angry. Angry at him.

He shook his head, trying to shake off whatever had a hold on him. Edward felt as if he'd been asleep for years, his brain was muddled and slow, but the sound of Bella's voice had penetrated the heavy fog.

Forcing his eyes to open Edward peered out recognizing his room. Slowly, the activities of the last 24 hours began to filter back in. He gasped for air as despair fell heavily onto him. He'd given his body over to the Devil for a little peace.

" _What did you do to Bella?!"_ Edward screamed.

"Well, well. Look who has awoken." He shuddered as the sarcastic voice echoed in his head.

 _"What did you d-"_

"What did I do to Isabella?" The Devil repeated with a sneer. "Nothing, _yet_."

* * *

 **Thank you for reading. I appreciate all of your support!**

 **Until next time,**

 **ruinedbyrob**


	27. Chapter 27

*Taps mic* Is this thing on? Is anyone still out there? To those amazing people who are still on this ride with me, you have my heartfelt thanks. I don't want to bore you with my RL B.S., but suffice to say that I was given a monumental task of rewriting 30 years of manuals and a deadline to get it done. My for fun writing time has been sorely infringed upon and will continue until I get those manuals done. I cannot promise when my updates will occur. I'm truly sorry and I hope you will continue to give me a chance to entertain you.

I have so much gratitude to Sazzledazzled and Edwardsfirstkiss for lending their talents and support to my cause. This fandom owes so much to our prereader and beta volunteers. They don't get enough accolades for their work and they deserve it!

 **Disclaimer** : Stephenie owns the real Twilight universe, but this bizzaro world is mine. All Mine!

* * *

 **The Devil's Plan**

Chapter 27

 _ **Chink in the Armor**_

" _ **What did you d-"**_

" _ **What did I do to Isabella?" The Devil repeated with a sneer. "Nothing, yet."**_

Edward felt an overwhelmingly urge to vomit.

Why would the Devil say that? Why would he do anything to Bella? Edward asked himself, beginning to realize just how horrible the implications of what he'd done were.

" _Leave her alone!"_ Edward shouted into the darkness. He had to protect the ones he loved. Even if he had to fight the Devil to do it.

"Ooh, sorry. No can do. My Swan is the key to _everything_." The Devil replied, moving towards Edward's closet and grabbing the Burberry wool jacket he'd received last Christmas from his grandmother. "This is nice, very nice." He commented, sliding the jacket on and admired his image in the mirror. "I can see that I'll need to update your wardrobe but this will do for now." The Devil said as he continued going through Edward's closet.

" _The key to what?!"_ Edward demanded as loudly as he could, ignoring the sounds of disapproval made over his wardrobe. _"She's not your Swan!"_ Edward added. She's mine. He told himself.

"What did I tell you about screaming?" Edward felt his arm move up to the side of his head.

Edward ignored the Devil. _"Tell me!"_

"Stop!"

" _No! No! "_ Edward repeated loudly.

Suddenly, his face appeared before him in his bathroom mirror. "You listen to me you insignificant little pest! You will stop screaming or I'll make a visit to your mother!" Edward could barely recognize his own face as it twisted and sneered with the Devil's threat.

" _Leave her alone."_ Edward lowered his voice. _"You promised not to hurt my mother."_

"I did, and I will keep that promise as long as you stop the fucking screaming!" Spittle ran from his chin as he glared into the mirror. "Ba'al! I need healing!"

Edward watched Jasper appear in the mirror. "What is it Sire?" He asked.

 _Sire? Who was Ba'al? What the hell was Jasper doing in his room and how did he know Satan?_

"My head." The Devil complained through gritted teeth. "The boy is screaming! It feels as if a hot poker has been rammed into my fucking eyeball!"

"You can feel him?" Jasper asked with wide eyes. The Devil nodded with a grimace.

"Yes, and when he screams it fucking hurts! He shouldn't be this strong. Usually the host's influence lasts mere hours, but this boy has proven to be more persistent than usual. I cannot concentrate when he's screaming!"

Jasper immediately began going through Edward's cabinet and drawers until he found a bottle of Alieve.

Edward silently observed the two in his mirror.

"These will work." Jasper shook two into the Devil's out stretched hand. The Devil looked suspiciously at the small blue pills.

"How are these supposed to work? Bring me wine and a poultice."

Edward heard Jasper sigh.

"These will work. Swallow them." He ordered.

Satan glared at Jasper, lifting an eyebrow at the authoritative tone his minion had used but put the pills into his mouth. "Here," Jasper said, handing him a small glass of water. "This will help."

Satan swallowed the pills and handed the glass back to Jasper. "I'm still in pain."

"You must give it a few moments to work." Jasper chuckled, only to have Satan glare at him again.

"It better." Edward watched as Jasper swallowed quickly, lowering his head in supplication at Satan's thinly veiled threat. It was becoming clear that somehow Jasper, Ba'al whatever his name was, was subservient to the Devil. Edward remembered back to the ill-fated Halloween party. It was Jasper who had introduced Satan to the group, calling him Lucian. Edward's mind raced, Rose and Emmett hadn't been at his party but surely if Jasper worked for Satan, so did Rose. The fact that his brother was dating one of Satan's demons, flew to the forefront of his mind.

" _Is Emmett in danger?_ Edward wondered.

"Not unless he tries to intervene." Satan answered Edward's unspoken question.

Intervene in what? Edward couldn't think of anything that his brother would consider important enough to interfere with, especially if it had anything to do with Edward.

"Sire?" Jasper asked, confused by Satan's seemingly random statement.

"The boy has realized Astarte's and your connection to me." Satan answered, waiving a dismissive hand, still grimacing in pain.

" _Alice?"_ Edward asked fearfully. He didn't know the girl very well but knew how much she meant to Bella. He didn't want her to be hurt any more than he did his brother.

"She was assigned to Ba'al," Satan said pointing to the still confused looking Jasper. "He gained her confidence in order to influence Isabella." Edward didn't miss the softening on Jasper's face when Alice was mentioned. He also noticed that Jasper hid his reaction almost immediately.

Edward felt his anger swell at Satan's mention of Bella. Hearing that vile creature say her name, even in his own voice, rattled him beyond measure. There was something truly terrible going on. He knew now that Hell's Keeper showing up at his darkest hour was not by accident. But why him? And why Bella? And why did Satan keep referring to her as _his Swan_? Edward waited for Satan's answers. But he was ignored as Satan returned his attention to Ba'al. He then realized that the Devil could only hear him when he actually spoke. He didn't have access to all of Edward's thoughts.

"Sire," Jasper uttered softly. "How much of an influence does the host have in these instances?"

"Usually none. Their body is but a vessel for me to occupy completely. There is the odd moment of recognition here and there but they usually cannot alter or effect anything I do." Satan said, while rubbing his head. The pain was beginning to lessen. It was now a dull throb compared to the intensely sharp pain he had experienced earlier. "This is the worst I've ever been affected, and it's happened twice." He admitted with a frown.

Jasper nodded thoughtfully for a moment, opening his mouth, closing it and then opening it again as if he was trying to get words out but none would obey him.

Satan noticed his predicament. "What?!" He demanded, crossly.

"You said _usually_. Is there something different about this possession? Do you think the boy could somehow interfere with your plans?" Jasper finished quickly before taking a deep breath, steeling himself for the wrath he was afraid he would soon experience, but he felt the information was necessary.

As predicted, Satan was not happy with his questions, but he stood still with narrowed eyes as he appeared to ponder what Jasper had said. "There is nothing wrong with how _I_ performed the incantation! _I_ do not make mistakes!" He bellowed causing Jasper to pitch backward on the bed.

"Fuck!" Satan exclaimed grasping his head. He took several heaving breaths, willing the pain to subside. The Devil did not make mistakes. But he couldn't deny that there was something wrong. He could feel the boy's soul rattling around like a tin can that had been caught in the wind. Once the souls he'd previously borrowed gave up, they would fade completely, allowing him to use their bodies in any way he chose with no input or hassle. However, Edward wasn't conforming to the norm. He was somewhat cognizant of what was happening and actively trying to interfere. The boy should have faded away hours ago. The pain in Devilward's head had been so consuming he hadn't noticed there was also a faint burning pain where Edward's heart resided. Satan grasped his chest, rubbing absently at the spot before sitting down on the edge of the bed. He suddenly felt weak and tired. He knew that as a human he would have to deal with their emotions and physical weaknesses but this was different. Edward's emotions were draining his entire body making it very difficult for Satan to keep the upper hand. He continued to rub his chest while ignoring Ba'al's questioning look, unwilling to admit to his underling that there may indeed be a problem.

As Satan and Jasper spoke, Edward saved and catalogued this new information. He wasn't sure how to use it to his advantage but the hope that he could interfere or even stop whatever it was Satan was planning was a tiny comfort. His biggest problem was fatigue. Even now Edward felt himself begin to tire. His ability to pay attention to what Satan was saying or doing, was beginning to fail. The darkness surrounding him grew closer and more stifling. He could barely follow the conversation that Satan and Jasper were having. Edward tried in vain to stay alert, but soon succumbed to the darkness.

"Now, let us get back to the most important task. What can be done to smooth my swan's ruffled feathers?" Satan asked Ba'al, expecting his minion to come up with a satisfying fix for his current predicament.

"Um, I suppose you should start with a phone call?" Ba'al asked.

"So far that has not worked."

"Sire, it's normal for human girls to ignore their boyfriends after a fight. And the hour is very late. She may have turned her phone off to avoid your calls." Ba'al instantly regretted his words. Satan's eyes blazed and his nostrils flared in anger.

"Ignore me?! She thinks she can _ignore me_?!" The absurdity of Ba'als statement incensed the Devil.

Ba'al moved forward, gesturing calmly towards his angry master. "Sire, to her you are just, Edward. The boyfriend that has hurt her with his harsh words and attitude. She doesn't yet know that you are her master." Satan huffed in defiance. It was unfathomable to him that she not understand who he was.

"Sire, perhaps we should let her sleep and in the morning we'll be able to make her understand." Ba'al was grasping at straws. He really needed Astarte's input. After all, she was a woman. Damn her for scurrying away like a cockroach caught in the light.

The Devil moved to the large bed and laid down, pulling the warm comforter up to his neck as he seemed to snuggle into the bed. Ba'al wasn't sure 'snuggle' fit the devil, but it appeared to be exactly what he was doing. "Perhaps, you are right. I find the need to rest since taking over this body is quite irritating." He said, stifling a yawn with a grimace before turning away from Ba'al.

Ba'al crept over to the doorway and turned out the light. He was unsure as to what was expected of him as Satan slept. He eyed Edward's couch and settled into the supple leather seat. He would just lay his head down for a moment lest Satan awoke and needed him. A stiff neck would be much less painful than whatever punishment awaited him if he were not available when needed. Cursing Astarte and her aptitude for hiding, he wrapped his arms around his torso and settled into an uneasy rest.

 **~~~TDP~~~**

Bright sunshine greeted Bella as she opened her eyes. Dust motes danced in the beams, highlighting the fact that her room was in dire need of a dusting. Not willing to leave her warm bed, she pulled her shiny lavender comforter up closer to her face and rolled away from the window. Bella wasn't ready to face the task that awaited her. She didn't have homework to do and despite the telltale dust motes, the Swan home was not in horrible disarray. She was avoiding having to confront Edward. His attitude last night had both surprised and angered her.

Sighing, she reluctantly pulled herself out from under her warm cocoon. The sunlight streaming through her window was deceiving. Her floor was ice cold. She shivered as she hurried to the bathroom for a warm shower.

Bella relaxed under the steamy spray, allowing the Moen adjustable shower head do its job on her tense muscles. Charlie had balked at the steep price tag, but she'd found him sneaking into her bathroom after a rough day at work, his appreciation for the item clearly seen on his face.

As the warm water cascaded over her shoulders, Bella leaned up against the shower wall reveling in the warmth. Silently she went over what she wanted to say to Edward. She was going to tell him in no uncertain terms that Bella Swan was an understanding and forgiving person but she was not a push over and she was not going to allow him to speak to her in the manner he did last night. She was also going to remind him that as a couple they were supposed to work together through their problems. His disappearing acts were done. Not that she was going to demand that she knows where he was at all times, but she was not going to put up with him ignoring her for days.

Bella dried off in the still warm bathroom. She and dried her hair as it was too cold to allow it to air dry as she usually did. After blowing her hair dry and attending to the rest of her morning routine, she left her steamy oasis and ventured downstairs for something to eat.

After a quick breakfast of instant oatmeal and hot cocoa, Bella found herself once again weighing the options of how to handle Edward. She took her phone out of her pocket, wincing slightly as she saw he'd called eight more times after she'd turned it off.

"Ugh." She uttered to no one. Remembering the pep talk she'd given herself in the shower, she dialed his number.

"My love, I've been anticipating your telephone call." Edward's voice sounded weirder to her now than it had last night. "Are you well?" He asked quickly.

"Um, yeah." She answered taken aback by his strange manner of speaking, although she was quite pleased that his attitude appeared to have changed.

"Excellent. That pleases me. Would it be appropriate for me to call on you today?"

"Why are you talking like that?" She asked, confused by his formal language. Edward wasn't too keen on a lot of shortcuts in language. He always insisted on using proper words when texting, but this manner of speaking was way over the top and not what she was used to hearing.

"What do you mean? Am I not using the proper words and tone?" Bella heard another voice in the background and wondered who he was speaking to, as it sounded as if Edward was asking whomever is was for advice.

"Your tone is fine," she said with a roll of her eyes. "Why do you sound like someone that was born a hundred years ago?"

Devilward chuckled, finding her estimation of his vast age amusing. "I will do my best to adapt my speech to a more pleasing vernacular."

"You know what, forget it. Let's start over. Good morning, Edward." Bella sighed. She was losing patience with his joke.

"Good morning, Isabella. May I see you today?" Devileward continued in an even tone as Ba'al nodded in encouragement from across the room, understanding that his part in this scheme had changed from a more reconnaissance mode to now having to instruct and encourage Satan on proper human behavior in the twenty-first century.

Bella ignored the fact he'd used her full name. "Yes. I think it would be a good idea to talk face to face. Would you like to come over here or should I-"

"Wonderful! I will come to you as soon as I conclude the day's first meal." he said quickly, interrupting her statement and abruptly disconnected the call.

Bella stared at her phone. She ran her hand through her head and sighed. Something was going on with that boy and she was going to get to the bottom of it.

 **~~~TDP~~~**

* * *

 **Thoughts? Questions? Concerns?**

 **Until next time,**

 **RuinedbyRob**


	28. Chapter 28

**I hope this chapter meets your expectations.**

 **Much love and appreciation to Edwardsfirstkiss and Sazzledazzled fixing my errors and trying to keep me on task.**

 **SM owns Twilight. But this Devil is all mine.**

 **All mistakes are mine.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **The Devil's Plan**

Chapter 28

Tone is Everything

"I believe that you should leave that out of the conversation." Ba'al wrung his hands as he tried to advise the ruler of Hell as he was rummaging through Edward Cullen's closet.

"I've waited all this time. Why should I wait a moment longer?" As usual Satan was ignoring Ba'al's advice. He had decided to walk into the Swan home and demand that Isabella fall to her knees in devotion. If he had his way, Satan would have her in his bed before nightfall. Much to his irritation, Ba'al was urging him to take a softer approach.

"Sire, remember she must give herself to you freely. If you force her-"

" _Force_? Do you think that for a moment she could resist me?" Satan asked, from inside Edward's walk in closet.

Wisely Ba'al shook his head. "Of course not. You're the envy of all who have the privilege to be in your presence. But human girls are different. They are independent and –"

"-And nothing! She is a female." He stated emphatically, practically daring Ba'al to disagree that Isabella would be powerless to resist him.

"Of course, Sire. However she is young. _Very young_."

"You think her age is a deterrent? Is she not old enough to provide what I seek?" Satan was not deterred in the least by his Swan's age. Yet, he was aware of instances where girls of her age were not yet mature enough to provide what he sought. A chink in his plans had reared its ugly head. Now he would have to ascertain whether she was indeed as mature as he needed her to be.

Ba'al's mouth hung open at Satan's question. He could only assume that Bella had started her menses. His Alice was in perfect synch with her cycle. "Sire I can only assume that she is capable-"

"Assume? _You assume_? You and your worthless partner didn't think to make sure? Once again I shall have to take matters into my own hands!" Satan declared. How Satan planned to discover Bella's current menstrual status had Ba'al cringing. Knowing his lord, he'd flat out ask her if she were fertile and then Bella being Bella, would probably tell him to go to hell; which of course is exactly where he belonged but would only causing a bigger rift between the two which in turn would make Ba'al's life even harder than it already was.

"Sire, please don't ask her. I will find out." Ba'al pleaded. Satan eyed his minion with narrowed eyes. So far he'd been very unimpressed with Ba'al and Astarte's work. He'd expected to take over the boy, take the girl and be done. He was not happy with the roadblocks he'd encountered so far.

"See that you do. And be quick about it! I will not have my plans delayed any longer." Satan grabbed a shirt off a hangar and quickly shrugged it on before admiring himself in the mirror. No bad, he thought to himself. The Cullen boy, while proving to be a pain in his ass, did have one thing going for him. Satan couldn't deny that the boy was attractive. His physique, while not being nearly as appealing as Satan's angelic body, was not a total disappointment.

"How do I look?" Ba'al lifted his head as Satan appeared from the closet.

"Um, fine?"

"Fine?" Satan repeated in a mocking tone. "I look better than 'fine'. Surely a demi-god's vocabulary contains words to describe a god's appearance?" His words may have sounded flippant, but his icy stare made it clear to Ba'al that he was not playing. Satan, required constant praise and accolades that befitted his narcissistic personality.

"Sire, you look magnificent. Truly, the blue of the garment you're wearing causes the green of your eyes to shine with exquisite vibrancy." Ba'al breathed a sigh of relief as Satan nodded at his praise.

"Better," he said simply before grabbing Edward's grey wool coat and walking out of the door leaving Ba'al to stand in alone in Edward's room worried for the young girl.

 **~~~TDP~~~**

"Of course it's no bother." Bella called over her shoulder as she walked into the kitchen to make a fresh batch of hot cocoa for her unexpected guest.

"I'm so glad. I don't know why but I woke up this morning with the feeling that I _needed_ to see you today." Angela grinned with a shrug of her shoulders. When she woke up this morning, she'd felt an undeniable pull towards Bella. As if Bella needed her.

"I'm always happy to see you." Bella gave her friend a brief hug, setting their cocoas down on the table.

"This is yummy." Angela declared, taking a deep drink of the rich brew. "How was your Christmas?"

"Um, it was nice." Bella answered quickly.

"Just nice?" Angela asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No. It was really nice. We went to Billy Black's house. They've been family friends for years."

"Okay. And how is Edward?"

"As far as I know he's fine." Bella shrugged. Her answer wasn't exactly what her guest had expected to hear.

"Uh oh, are there problems in Edward and Bella land?" Angela reached out and patted Bella's hand.

"Oh, Ang, he's just…he's been acting weird, and it's…its' just really weird." Bella's head landed on the table top in a soft thud. How did she explain Edward's behavior to anyone else when she didn't understand it herself?

"Weird how? Not Jasper weird I hope." Angela asked with a chuckle.

"No, a different kind of weird. He just, he stops communicating for days and then when I do speak to him it's as if he's a different person. It was his voice, but the tone of his voice was harsh and his words- they didn't sound like language that he uses, and well, they were kind of harsh too. Last night he was acting as if he was my boss instead of my boyfriend. He was ordering me around, demanding to know why I didn't immediately return his calls. He sounded like a totally different person than I know him to be. I hung up on him."

"You didn't?" Angela's eyes were wide in disbelief.

"Yep." Bella nodded. "I told him I didn't care for his tone and cut the call."

Angela absorbed what Bella said with wide eyes. She didn't know what she'd expected with her impromptu visit, but learning that Edward had turned into an overbearing jerk causing Bella to hang up on him, was a huge surprise.

"Where does that leave you two?"

"I don't know," said with sadness reflected in her eyes. "He's actually on his way over now."

Angela straightened up in her seat. "He is? Do you want me to leave?"

"What? No. You're my friend. There's no reason you can't be here too." Bella couldn't deny that she was a tad worried about what would happen when that bronze-haired boy walked through her door. Having Angela here might help diffuse any blow ups that might occur when she told him that she wouldn't put up with his previous attitude.

"Bella, are you sure?" Angela asked automatically as her gut was telling her to stay right where she was.

"I'm sure. Besides, who knows when he'll even get here? We can catch up and-" She was interrupted by a knocking on her front door, a rather insistent knocking.

"Is that him?" Angela looked toward the front door.

"By the sound of the knocking, I would guess so." Bella answered with a slight frown.

Neither girl moved to answer the door as the knocking continued.

"Um, I don't think he's going to stop." Angela observed, surveying the part anxious, part indifferent look on her friend's face. Bella appeared to waiver between wanting to answer the door and leaving Edward outside.

"No. He's not." Bella agreed, blowing out a loud sigh. "Time to get this over with." She said, pushing up from the table and walking toward the front door.

Bella walked as slowly as she dared to her front door. "Stay strong." She repeated to herself, fearful that once Edward's handsome face filled her vision, she'd forget that she was perturbed with him.

Bella opened her door. The deep breath she'd taken for courage came out in a powerful 'whoosh'. Just as she'd feared, she was momentarily struck stupid by the boy leaning against the doorframe. Quickly, she ran her eyes over him in admiration. Regardless of his attitude of late, there was simply no denying how utterly beautiful he was.

Edward's normally messy and chaotic hair, appeared to shine brighter in the mid-morning light. The wool jacket he wore hugged his shoulders and chest. The navy blue button down made his green eyes seem, somehow greener and mossier. Inwardly, Bella chastised her lack of control as well as for using the word, _mossier_ , but knew it was no use. Even her superior vocabulary couldn't compete with the sheer beauty that was Edward Cullen.

Devilward grinned as he watched the speechless girl take in his visage. If her dazed appearance was any indication of how much she enjoyed Edward's face and body, she'd pose no challenge to him at all.

He pushed off from the doorframe, hooking an arm around the shocked girl, pulling her in closer to his body. "My love, you are a vision," he said, running his nose along the curve of her neck, sniffing her delectable scent before whispering, "I have waited ages for you to be ready for me."

Bella abruptly pulled out of his arms, the swoon she'd almost succumbed too quickly dissolved at his strange words. _"Ready for him?"_ Just what did he think they were ready to do?

"Whoa," she said, pushing slightly against his unyielding chest. "Just what am I supposed to be ready for?" Bella asked with hardened resolve. Sure, in the past it had been Edward who would put the brakes on her arduous advances, but today it would be her to dictate what they did. And even though she'd been temporarily stunned stupid only moments before, she was not going to let him off the hook for his behavior the night before just because he looked and smelled amazing.

Not to be deterred by her sudden show of temper, he reached out and took her hand. He brought her hand up to his mouth where he placed lingering kisses on each knuckle. "My dear Isabella, your words are no match for your body. You cannot deny the tightening in your womb or the lust in your eyes. You leave no mystery as to what you are ready to do."

"Stop!" Bella pulled her hand out of his grasp, noting how his eyes flared with anger at her actions. "Don't you dare discuss my _womb_ or the supposed lust in my eyes. You have a lot to explain and I'm not touching you again until you do." Defiantly, she crossed her arms over her chest and dared him to try her again.

Devilward was fed up with this attitude. No female dared to deny him! Damn Ba'al's insistence for him to be gentle. He would take her now and deal with the consequences. Devilward stood to Edward's full height and prepared to take a hold of the petite child.

"Bella, I think I'm going to head out." Angela moved hesitantly into the hallway. She took in the defensive posture of her friend and the somewhat menacing look on Edward's face with alarm.

"No, you don't have to go. "

Angela eyed both of them from her spot in the hallway. Bella looked angry and Edward look completely put out. "Um, I think you two need some time to yourselves…" Her voice failed her as Edward quickly turned to face her.

Angela had moved close enough for him to inhale her scent. She felt a moment of fear as Devilward's eyes widened and his nostrils flared. He moved quickly to stand in front of Bella, shielding her from her friend. "Leave immediately!" He ordered with authority.

Bella gasped at his outburst, pushing against his arm. "Edward! What has gotten into you?" She admonished, finally succeeding in stepping away from him.

"Isabella, I command you to come back to me!"

"Are you seriously-"Bella didn't finish her statement before he reached out and pulled her back to him.

"Stop!" She ordered. "This is exactly what I've been trying to talk to you about. You can't order me around like I'm your property." Bella looked at Devilward, expecting him to let go of her arm.

He didn't.

With a huff, she quickly pulled her arm out of his grasp and moved to stand next to Angela. "I'm so sorry. He has no right to say-"

"I think it would be wise if I left." Bella stared at Angela in surprise.

"Are you sure?"

Angela nodded. "Yes, you two seem to have a lot to discuss. I'll call you later." Angela offered her friend a small smile and a light reassuring touch to her arm as she moved towards the front door. Bella noticed how Edward moved to avoid Angela as she brushed past him on her way through the door.

"What in the world has gotten into you?" Bella asked, as she moved to shut the door. "I barely recognize you anymore. Your rotten attitude towards me is one thing, but when you turn it to my friends, we have a very big problem. Angela is my friend, _our friend_ and you had no right to speak to her like that." Bella fumed, rushing down the hallway towards the now empty kitchen. She assumed he would follow her.

He did.

The cooled cups of cocoa clanked and clattered as she set about cleaning them. "Honestly, Edward, what is your problem?"

Devilward stood quietly for a moment, enjoying the vision of his Swan's temper tantrum. He especially enjoyed how the heat of the dish water caused a slight flush to the delicate skin behind her neck. The heat also enhanced her delectable scent.

Bella turned around sharply at the sound of his loud inhalation. "What is with you and smelling people?" She asked loudly waving a wet soapy arm at him

Devilward chuckled at her outrage. Should he tell her that he was delighted to discover her aroma hinted at the coming of her menstrual cycle and that despite her current temper, earlier he'd been able to smell her excitement at seeing him on her porch and that the knowledge pleased him immensely? Should he tell her that he'd reacted to that dark-haired female because he'd detected a familiar scent that had been absent in his life for a millennia? As Bella turned her back to him continuing with her task at the sink, he quickly decided that perhaps he would take Ba'al's earlier advice.

"I don't believe that my explanations would be appreciated." He said smugly with a grin.

"Why the frack not?" She asked heatedly. "Because the way I see it, you owe me a crap ton of explanations. And Edward, I want them." Her cheeks flamed with anger.

Devilward walked slowly towards his Swan. In spite of her ire, he was delighted to see her pupils dilate with interest at his approach. Yes, his Swan may not be as subservient as he would have wanted. And he now understood what Ba'al had been saying earlier; something about luring insects closer with honey, or something to that effect. Thankfully his Swan was so attracted to _the boy's_ appearance that even in her fury she couldn't help but lick her lips in reaction to his nearness.

"Isabe- Bella," he corrected himself just as she opened her mouth to protest. "I understand that you are upset at my behavior." He explained calmly, while taking her hands in his, ignoring the irritating wetness of the wash water. "I can only offer my apologies and say further that I was reacting to my intense desire to see you."

"You've been acting like an A-one jackwagon because _you_ wanted to _see_ me?" She questioned with a raised eyebrow.

Tamping down his desire to quash her defiant attitude, Devilward leaned in to whisper in her ear. "My desire for you knows no bounds." He punctuated his words with a kiss to her unadorned lobe.

Bella shivered at the sensation and leaned further into his touch. He moved closer placing small kisses down the slope of her throat, gently inhaling as he went.

Under the onslaught of Edward's magic lips, Bella could feel her earlier promise to not touch him begin to fade. How horrible would it be to just give in to him? Her knees began to wobble as she pondered.

"So easy." she sighed, answering her unspoken question.

"Doesn't it feel better to give in to me?" His words fell like an anvil onto her ears. _Give in to him?_ Let his needs and wants dictate hers? Allow him to treat her like a doormat because he didn't want to give her thoughts or feelings any credence?

"Okaaaay. And now we're done." Bella pulled away quickly, taking a seat at the table leaving him glowering at her. "Sit." She ordered, pointing to the chair across from her. "We're not getting anywhere like this. I'm not going to forgive you for acting like a Fifty Shades, whip wielding wannabe just because my insides turn to mush every time you breathe hard on me."

"Fifty Shades? Whip wielding? What are you referring to? I've not used my whips on you." He stated matter-of- factly.

Bella's eyes were wide with his admission.

"You have whips? What kind of stuff were you and Tanya doing?"

"Tanya? Why do you bring up a dead woman in this conversation?"

" _Dead_? Tanya is dead?"

* * *

 **So, Bella has had her first encounter with the Devil. How do you think she did? That girl ain't a pushover but who can resist a man that looks like Edward? Not me! I swear, I'd totally let Robert Pattinson use whips on me. LOL!**

 **Thank you for reading!**

 **Love to you all!**


	29. Chapter 29

Please forgive me for how late this update is. I'm the third generation of a Mom & Pop small business where the 'Mom' and 'Pop' portion of the business have all bu retired, leaving me to run a very complicated business virtually on my own. I'm frazzled to say the least and alternate between crying and want to pull my hair out most of the time. If you quit reading, I won't blame you. If you do stick with me, please let me know you're still here. I'm holding on by a thread and positive feedback is my drug of choice.

So much appreciation to my team of Sazzledazzle and Edwardsfirstkiss. They're sticking with me and are absolute angels for donating their time and talents to The Devil's Plan.

SM owns Twilight. Devilward is mine.

* * *

 **The Devil's Plan**

 **Chapter 29**

 **Discoveries and Betrayals**

" _Dead? Tanya is dead?"_

Devilward looked quizzically at the girl before him. Her mouth was open in surprise with her body pitched forward as if in anticipation of his answer.

"Yes." He answered with no expression on his face.

Bella slouched back in her chair, as her mind absorbed the news. _How did she die? Why didn't he tell me?_ She wondered as she searched his face for any sign of grief. She was confused that she didn't find any.

"Edward, why didn't you tell me?"

"Why would I? She means nothing to me." Bella gasped at his statement. She knew that wasn't true. While she wasn't going to miss having that woman on the planet, she knew that Tanya's presence was still of consequence to the boy sitting before her. Edward's strange attitude must be a direct result of Tanya's death. He was protecting himself or deflecting. She wasn't sure as she'd not had any psychology classes yet, but his attitude change made sense.

Bella reached across the table and held his hand. "I'm sorry," she said sympathetically, squeezing his hand.

Devilward looked at their entwined hands and then looked at Bella's face. Her big brown eyes reflected concern and sympathy, two human emotions that were not part of his repertoire.

"I understand now why you've been acting like such a jer-I mean; understand why you haven't been your normal self." She flashed him a small smile.

Devilward wasn't sure what she was referencing, but he wasn't one to pass up an opportunity. Her attitude had softened towards him and he'd take full advantage of her new mindset.

"Yes. It was very dramatic." He said emotionless.

"Don't you mean traumatic?" She asked quizzically, pulling back slightly from his hold.

"No. I used the correct word. She didn't go easily." He said without thought to how that sounded out loud. No one else knew what he'd gone through to talk Tanya into ending her life. For someone who felt they'd lost everything and everyone, she hadn't accepted her fate easily. Her soul had been difficult to obtain.

Bella pondered his words with pursed lips and a furrowed brow. "Okay. Can you tell me what happened?" She asked, deciding to try to see if talking about it would trigger a normal reaction and bring her Edward back.

"She slit her wrists and bled out in the bath." Bella gasped, horrified at his words and deadpan delivery.

"That's horrible."

"It is the usual outcome for people like her." Devilward shrugged, looking bored.

"What does that mean?" Bella was astounded at his lack of sympathy. Sure in her book, Tanya had deserved a lot of terrible things to befall her for the way she'd used Edward, but suicide, that was truly horrible and Bella couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for the woman.

"It means that when you forfeit your soul, your body soon follows. It is the way of things."

"Edward, what she did was horrible, and she's certainly not someone I'd invite to dinner or want to be friends with, but you think she was soulless? You think she did those things to you with malice?" Bella had hated Tanya for how she'd used Edward. Tanya had acted selfishly and definitely made Bella question her morality, but deep down she'd never thought that Tanya had begun the affair with the intent to hurt Edward.

Devilward watched her with no understanding of why she'd be even slightly upset about the woman's death.

"What about her son?"

"He found her."

"Oh my god!" Bella's voice began to rise in distress.

 _The mist surrounding Edward was still thick and heavy yet, he thought he'd heard Bella call out. Surely it was his delusional and abused mind playing tricks on him. But suddenly he felt the need to fight through the blackness to find her._

"Dearest, why are we spending our time worrying about the soul of an insignificant woman, when we could be focusing our attention on more amusing pursuits?" His eyebrow lifted suggestively, taking her hand.

"Edward, no one is insignificant," she said pointedly. "I realize that you're trying to spare yourself the pain of what's happened. I'll let it go for now. But we're not done with this." She assured him as he huffed and rolled his eyes like a child. So unlike her Edward.

"How was Christmas?" She asked hoping to change the direction of their afternoon.

Devilward shrugged. "Esme made food. I ate it before retiring to my room." Bella shook her head as if trying to process his words. _Esme?_ He's now calling his mother by her first name?

"Is that all? You didn't exchange gifts or watch movies or play games?" The Cullen familial relationship was strained but had been getting better. She guessed that perhaps Tanya's death had cast a damper over the whole family.

"No. There was talk about a vacation and then the fight-"

"-A fight? Who did you fight with and why?" Devilward huffed loudly as he resisted the urge to berate her for interrupting him.

"It doesn't matter." He saw no reason to rehash the trivial events that had taken place at the Cullen home.

"Edward, they're your family. You need them!" Bella exclaimed in dismay wondering why he couldn't understand that family was important.

Devilward cocked any eyebrow at her assumption that he needed those people, or anyone else. He'd been thrown from his family, left to rot in the pits of hell. Without help from any of his so-called family, he'd picked himself up and made a kingdom out of the barren wasteland he now lorded over. He couldn't help but inwardly smile at that thought because of this little girl before him, he'd soon have the means to turn the tables on his family and take their home for his own.

"The only person I need is you." He said, hoping to distract her from her current train of thought. Devilward kissed her hand while gauging her reaction through his long lashes.

Seeing that she was momentarily stunned by his kiss, he gently pulled her forward until they were both leaning over the table.

"You're the most important person in this world to me." Devilward murmured truthfully as Bella succumbed to his sweet manipulation.

Devilward pulled her closer, kissing her lips. Soon the discomfort of their position necessitated a move to the couch where they could continue their _discussion_.

Kissing Edward had been at the top of Bella's _Favorite Things to Do_ list for a while now. And despite her concern over his behavior and Tanya's tragic death, she was happy to indulge in her favorite pasttime. Besides, when he kept his mouth shut, he was back to being her beautiful boyfriend.

 _Edward's efforts to pull himself from the dark place, were slowly succeeding. He was still blind but his hearing was getting better. The sounds of heavy breathing and moaning was alarming to him. He concentrated harder and slowly a hazy figure came into view. Whoever it was, was very close._

 _The sound of panting and what he thought was moaning became louder._

"Oh Edward," Bella gasped as Devilward's kisses intensified and he began to fondle her breasts under her shirt. Bella was overcome with feeling. She'd been waiting so long for him to take the initiative in their physical relationship. And now he was.

"Oh Edward." _Edward knew that voice. Bella was moaning his name. NO! It wasn't his touches she was reacting too. It was the soulless monster that was using his body that she was panting after. Suddenly, Bella's face came into view. She was beneath the monster. Her blissful expression incensed him._

 _Nooooo! He screamed, delighting when he felt the monster wince._

"Edward? Bella asked concern was etched into her beautiful face.

" _Nooo!"_ Edward screamed again, hating that she was showing concern for the vile creature on top of her.

Devilward reared back from her. His hands going to his head.

"Baby, what's wrong?" Edward's guts churned at her endearment for the monster pretending to be him.

" _Don't touch her!"_ Edward's angry demand echoed loudly in his head.

Devilward, groaned, causing another look of concern from Bella.

" _She's mine!"_ Edward could feel the Devil's pain and relished knowing that he was the cause.

Devilward moved away from Bella, sitting down on the couch with his aching head cradled in his head.

"Edward, what do you need?" She asked earnestly, softly touching his hand.

"Pain. So much pain!" Devilward uttered, rocking back and forth.

Bella jumped up from the couch and bolted out of the room in search of a pain reliever.

"Cease this!" Devilward hissed loudly, enraged that the child was able to affect him with such severity.

" _I demand that you to leave here and never come back! You don't deserve to be in the same room as her!"_

"You insolent bug! Dare you tell me what to-"

Realizing that he had only one recourse; Edward began screaming as loudly as he could.

"Fuck!" Devilward slid from the couch onto the floor as Bella came running back into the room.

"Oh my god! Here, take these." Through his haze of pain, Devilward recognized the blue pills lying in her palm as the same ones Ba'al had given him. While not perfect, they had managed to dull the pain. He swallowed the tablets and drank the water Bella offered.

Puzzled as to what had just overcome him, Bella sat down and began rubbing his back. Hoping to alleviate his pain.

Devilward stayed silent yet continued to rock as Edward kept up his screeching.

"Do I need to call your dad?" Bella asked, looking around for her phone. She'd left it in the kitchen. Reaching down she went to take Edward's out of his pocket.

Devilward pushed her hand away. Edward's squawking became louder as she got closer to him.

" _Don't touch her!"_

Bright bursts of light seemed to explode beneath Devilward's eyelids. White hot pain accompanied each explosion.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Devilward yelled, hating that he was acquiescing to Edward's demand but was nearly powerless to ignore it.

Bella froze, pulling her hand back as if he'd burned her. He was in obvious pain but that didn't mean he could yell at her like that.

"What the hell is going on?" Bella demanded.

Devilward said nothing but continued to rock on the floor as Edward kept up his barrage.

Bella sat in absolute bewilderment as she watched Edward writhe in pain. This isn't normal, this isn't even close to being normal, she thought worriedly as she moved as close to him as she could without touching him. She hoped her presence would lend him some comfort.

Soon the drug started taking effect. While it didn't drown Edward out completely; he was definitely subdued and the pain began to lessen somewhat. He was able to stop rocking in pain. Devilward removed his hands and looked at Bella. The girl's face portrayed an array of emotions. She was obviously upset by seeing him in pain, yet he could also detect that she was angry at him too. Humans and their ever changing moods were such a weakness and so easily used to manipulate them.

As much as Devilward wanted to continue the seduction of his Swan, he reluctantly had to admit that the effects of the boy's tantrum were lingering and the only activity that he felt he could possibly handle was a nap. No wonder humans rarely accomplished anything of note, their bodies were highly inefficient.

"Edward, what was that?" Bella asked quietly.

"Nothing but an irritating ache." He answered with a wince as he felt another small jolt of pain. He would have to get to the bottom of how the boy was able to affect him like this. Through the pain, Edward was able to control his actions. He hated to admit it, but something had to have gone wrong with the incantation he'd been given. His fists clenched at the thought that he'd been double crossed by one of his minions.

Bella watched Edward's eyes darkened and his mouth twisted into an ugly hard line. "Um, right. No. That wasn't a run of the mill headache. You were acting as if your head was going to split open."

"Twas nothing." He retorted sternly.

"Whatever." Bella huffed, crossing her arms. She leaned back against the couch; her irritation clearly etched on her face.

Edward was also feeling the numbing effects of the painkiller. Knowing that the monster would be alone with his Bella, Edward fought the darkness that was threatening to pull him under.

"What do you want to do now?" Bella asked from her place on the floor.

Devilward could feel Edward's fight. He knew that if he continued with his planned seduction, Edward would continue his wailing. Truthfully, he wasn't sure he could withstand another tantrum.

"We should engage in an activity less taxing than before." Bella pursed her lips at his suggestion and nodded in understanding.

"Do you want to go through my book some more?" Devilward nodded thinking that a simple book would cause him little problem. Bella got up from the floor and walked out of the room. He closed his eyes and focused on what Edward was doing. He could feel the boy's unrest. Devilward found himself in a position he was unaccustomed to, he was at the mercy of the boy's temper. If Edward decided to begin screaming again, Devilward wasn't sure he would have the ability to withstand the boy's ultimatums to stay away from his Swan.

However, he couldn't allow Edward to think that he had the upper hand.

"Boy, you will mind your manners or your family will-"

" _-Do. Not. Touch. Her!"_ Edward interrupted loudly.

Devilward swallowed his yelp of pain as Bella bounded into the room carrying a large book.

"So, I've been doing a little research on my own and I spoke to Charlie about what we have already found." She began, quickly opening up the book. "Look, I found where my mom had made notes; she also thought that there was some one or something working against the family." Bella excitedly explained, pointing towards a line of scribbling in the margin." Devilward, was still reeling from Edward's last shot and was barely paying attention to what she was saying.

"My mom thought that my grandmother was pregnant when she died and that the child was a boy. She didn't think their death was an accident but part of a plan to whittle the family down. For what, I don't know. But when you think about it, it kind of makes sense in a scary as hell kind of way." Bella chuckled, attempting to hide her own fear of what she was uncovering. "Especially when you take a look at dad's side of the family's history. I don't have a book for the Swan side but what I know follows the same pattern as mom's family. I just can't put it all together with concrete answers.

Bella's words drifted into Edward's consciousness at the same time that Devilward began to comprehend her words.

"What do you think it all means?" Bella asked, turning to look at the silent boy beside her.

"I _think_ you need to stop this nonsense!" Devilward spat, pushing the repulsive book off her lap with such force that it skittered across the carpeted floor to lay several feet away from her.

Bella scrambled to pick up her book, clutching it tightly to her chest while shooting Devilward a scathing look. "What is wrong with you? Last week you encouraged me to investigate my history, urged me to figure out the dream."

Devilward absorbed her words for merely seconds before reacting. "You will cease delving into things you have no business with."

Both Bella and Edward were stunned by his mandate. Bella reacted with astonishment and anger, whereas Edward's was more of a loose understanding that somehow the Devil was connected to Bella's tragic family history.

"Get out!" Bella demanded, pointing to the door. "I don't want you here." Her last words were delivered through clenched teeth.

Devilward quickly stood up. He had no intention of changing her mind. Truthfully, he wasn't going to be able to further his goals at this time. Due to this recent development, he would need to remove this new obstacle to his goal.

Bella could never learn the truth.

Edward's mind, while still foggy from the pain medication, was churning furiously as he tried to connect the pieces. He hated to see the look of pain on Bella's face but was also proud of her for standing up to the monster. The fact that she was forcing him from her presence was a win. Edward longed to reach out to her. Somehow let her know he was there, fighting to keep her safe, but he was losing his battle against the fog.

Bella's anger pushed her to follow the infuriating boy to her front door. He'd caused her to lose her temper more in the last week than she'd ever remembered doing in her entire life. He'd also managed to hurt and confuse her in every interaction they'd had. Bella didn't know what was going on but she did understand that she needed to clear her mind of Edward.

Devilward strode purposefully towards the door, forcefully wrenching it open before striding out onto the front porch. He was angry with her persistence in looking into her history. Nothing good would come from it. He would need to address this development soon.

Bella followed Edward down the hall to the front door, intending to slam it on his face as she was sure he would turn and beg her forgiveness at the last minute. She was disappointed that he strode over to his car without turning back. Frustrated, she prepared to shut her door and once again attempt to deal with the emotions that Edward had forced upon her with his ever changing and provoking moods, when he turned to her and said, "Heed my words, Isabella, cease meddling into events you have no hope of understanding or changing."

Bella watched speechless as he got into his Volvo and roared off.

 **~~~TDP~~~**

"Edward, is that you?" Devilward rolled his eyes at Esme Cullen's question. He'd managed to keep himself under control after leaving Bella. Edward had wisely kept to himself and caused no further problems. He would of course deal with the boy's interference as well as discover how it was even possible, but at the moment, he had bigger answers to find. And dealing with Esme Cullen would only slow him down.

Ignoring the woman's repeated call, he went into the kitchen to eat. He found that his appetite became increasingly harder to ignore after one of Edward's tantrums. Those aftershocks left him feeling ravenous and drained. Satan could feel the weariness throughout his body; his muscles and even his bones were tired. Yet another point in his argument for how much God had messed up with his creation.

Satan grabbed random items from the well-stocked refrigerator and moved to the large island. He'd just sat down and had begun eating the remnants of the Christmas dinner that Esme had prepared only to have it untouched by the family it was meant for, when Esme rounded the corner. She was dressed but not in the attire that most people would recognize as that of Esme Cullen. Her hair was brushed but not styled. Her legs were encased in old leggings, accompanied with an equally aged and frayed sweatshirt. She wore no makeup, deciding that there was no point in attempting to impress anyone when there was no one around to impress. The lines caused by sleepless nights and worry were not hidden by expensive concealers and powders, were easily detected under her eyes. Even her eyes lacked their usual brightness. The last forty-eight hours had taken quite a toll on the beauty and inner strength of Emse Anne Cullen.

Satan briefly lifted his eyes from his feast when she walked into the room. Esme sighed at the sight of her son devouring a roast chicken that she'd hoped would stand for another meal. Now she would have to put effort into making something new for dinner.

"Where have you been?" She asked, setting down a large glass of water in front of her son, worried he may choke on his meal. "Edward, please talk to me. Don't do this again."

Satan could feel Edward begin to waken at this mother's distressed plea. The thought of having to deal with more of the boy's shit, prompted him to give her an answer, hoping it would buy him a little time.

"I went to visit, Isabella."

"Bella, how is she? You didn't fight with her, did you?" Concern for the girl laced Esme's voice. She worried that her son's less than desirable attitude would prove difficult for that sweet girl to navigate.

"She's fine." He could feel Edward scratching at the wall that kept them separated.

"Fine? That doesn't sound very convincing." Satan grunted in response to her.

"Edward, we need to talk about happened to Tanya." Esme had expected to have this conversation sooner but her son's sudden change in attitude and the fact that he kept running off at every chance had gotten in the way.

"Why is everyone so worried about that woman?" First Bella and now Esme? Satan was perplexed at the constant infatuation over a dead woman.

"Edward, her death has to have had an impact on you."

 _Seriously?_ Satan thought to himself. He knew what had gone on between the boy and the woman. Their relationship meant nothing to him except for how it had presented him an opportunity to get close to his Swan. He was becoming tired of everyone demanding that he _feel_ something. Satan did not _feel_.

However, perhaps he could use the situation to his advantage?

"If I were to express the distress you assume that I feel, would that explain and perhaps excuse my behavior?" Esme absorbed his statement with confusion. She could only nod in answer.

"Excellent. Then you may assume that Edwa-I've been adversely affected." He shoved a large chunk of chicken into his mouth and walked out of the kitchen leaving Esme staring wide-eyed at his back.

 **~~TDP~~**

"Sire, may I assume that there is truth to what the girl has found?" Ba'al asked. He'd rushed over to the Cullen's after being summoned by Satan, who then briefly described his meeting with Bella, and his anger over discovering what she was doing.

"You may." Satan answered with a warning glance.

Ba'al pondered Satan's admittance. He knew that the Dark Lord had been manipulating events to his advantage, but he'd not considered just how far he'd gone. As arrogant as Ba'al had been in his previous life he wouldn't have ever thought to go as far as to eliminate generations of humans to further his plans. The thought made Ba'al's inhuman heart ache with the thought. Worse was that the Devil had been allowed to do it without consequence or interference from anyone.

The girl has stumbled upon information that could stop the Devil's plans. She only had to recognize it as fact and use it against him. Ba'al only had to find a way to make her aware of what she'd found, but he had to do it without alerting the being before him.

"I will speak to Astarte, we'll figure out-"

"There is a more insistent problem that must be dealt with first." Ba'al looked to his master, expectantly.

"I require you to return below and speak to Aro."

"Sire, what has he done?"

"I believe he has betrayed me." 

* * *

More to come. I promise!

Leave me some love!

~Ruinedbyrob


	30. Chapter 30

No, your eyes are not deceiving you. This is an actual update with real words and everything. Things have slowed down for a moment, so I wanted to get this out to you before the roof falls in again.  
To all of you that took a moment to leave me a review, thank you. Thank you for caring enough about the story to reach out and thank you for the encouragement, right now I have a ton of reasons to put this on hiatus but every review gives me a reason to keep going. So, THANK YOU!

Big hugs and sloppy smooches to my pre-reader Sarasazzle and my beta Edwardsfirstkiss. They got this back to me in one day. Love you guys!

 **Disclaimer:** SM owns Twilight and I own a slightly overweight (according to her vet.) almost 3 year old chow chow that tries to die every time I give her green beans for her snack. *eye-roll*

* * *

 **The Devil's Plan**

Chapter 30

Ba'al drove from the Cullen house to his borrowed home at a speed that would have scared most humans and surely would have gotten him pulled over to receive a stern warning if not a pricey ticket for his violation. But Ba'al didn't have time to worry about humans and their traffic laws, he had much more pressing matters. One, he had to find his good-for-nothing partner in crime. She had scurried away like a cockroach caught in the light almost as soon as their Master had arrived. He hadn't seen or heard from her for longer than a few minutes since. Thankfully, Satan hadn't taken much notice of her absence apart from a few well-placed comments. However, that was no longer the case. After today's debacle with the Swan girl, Satan had dug himself a hole that Ba'al was at a loss as to how to get him out of and would need a woman's point of view if they were to soothe the beast.

Secondly, Satan's disclosure regarding the effect that Edward had over his actions, had turned to talk of being double –crossed and had earned Ba'al a ticket back to the underworld for a few words with Aro.

Ba'al wasn't sure which task was worse, traveling back to the bowels of hell in order to ferret out a possible saboteur or attempting to once again teach the Devil how to treat a lady.

Each task brought a degree of danger for him. If he were unsuccessful with Aro, Satan would surely take it out on him. If he were successful, well, that meant that Aro had found a back door in which they could attempt to manipulate this whole scheme to their desired outcome. But once Satan discovered it, he was sure to close the door tightly and bring revenge down on all of their heads.

Ba'al breathed a small sigh of relief when he saw Astarte's red BMW parked in the driveway. He hurried into the home, ignoring the sounds of their _aunt_ in the kitchen preparing another meal that they wouldn't eat. He supposed he should feel a tad but guilty for the unnatural hold he and Astarte had on the Hale's but they were a necessary means to an end. If he and Astarte, and now possibly Aro, were able to thwart the Devil, the Hales would return to their previous lives unscathed. If not, well, in all honesty, they would most likely wish to live out the rest of their existence in their current zombie like state.

Ba'al bounded up the stairs and headed straight towards Astarte's room. In his haste he paid no mind to the sounds that were coming from behind the closed door.

"What the hell?" Emmett screamed at him from beneath a naked and writhing Astarte. Ba'al took in the sight before him with surprising indifference. Astarte's full breasts heaved and swayed with her movements. Ba'al appreciated the flush to her face and chest, the tautness of her belly and thighs as she controlled her movements. In this moment she was every inch the goddess of sex she'd been in their previous life. Yes, he thought, she was glorious. However, when his eyes made it to her face, he was reminded of her temper.

"What do you want? I'm busy." Astarte asked as she continued to move suggestively on top of a wide-eyed Emmett. She made no attempt to hide her nakedness from his eyes. In fact she appeared to put more effort into her movements and was all but ignoring the confused boy beneath her. Ba'al had a moment of empathy for the boy. He was obviously trying very hard to refrain from coming, as he tried to wrap his head around what was going on. Ba'al knew that Emmett would lose his battle with trying to make sense of the situation and would soon succumb to her careful ministrations. Astarte was after all the Goddess of sex.

Resistance was futile.

"I have received urgent word from _home_." Ba'al answered calmly as he met her eyes and was delighted when she appeared to lose a bit of her bravado. In a rare moment of compassion He turned his back to the copulating couple.

"I will need to return there immediately and you must take over my _chores_ while I'm gone." He continued calmly.

From behind him, he could hear the rustle of sheets and a male grunt as Astarte hastily removed herself from atop the boy.

"Rose, what the hell is goin-"

"You need to leave, now." Astarte ordered Emmett as she picked up the bed sheet and moved towards Ba'al.

"How bad is it?" She asked. Ba'al turned and saw the fear in her eyes. It was quite a change from the dark and lustful look she wore only a moment ago.

"It was an _urgent_ request," he replied. They shared a glance as his meaning sunk in.

The now haphazardly dressed Emmett appeared at her side. "Rose, just what the fuck is this? Your brother just barged in on us having sex and you don't care? That's totally fucked up!" Astarte ignored him, her mind was filled with horrible scenarios that would necessitate Ba'al's return to Hell.

Ba'al glanced at the boy. Emmett's face was red with anger, embarrassment and disgust as he tried to piece together what had just happened. Ba'al couldn't blame the boy. A supposed brother and sister watching each other in the throes of passion was taboo in his world. If Ba'al was a better person, he might try to concoct a story that would alleviate Emmett's disgust, but he wasn't and he didn't have the time even if he had wanted to help.

"When do you go?" Astarte asked.

"Immediately." He replied as she nodded in understanding. "You must take over while I'm gone."

"Rose, answer me!" Emmett interjected, trying to gain her attention.

"Yes. I understand." Astarte answered Ba'al before turning to her visibly upset boyfriend.

"Emmett, go home. I'll meet you there."

"What? No. Tell me what the hell just happened. This isn't right. It's sick and-"

"Emmett!" She commanded in the same tone she'd long ago used on her subjects. Emmett stopped talking, his eyes vacant as he focused on her voice. "I will explain later. Go. Home. Now." Emmett nodded and wordlessly left the two Demi-god's presence.

"Impressive, goddess. But that party trick will wear off soon and you'll have to deal with him. _Both_ of them." Inferring that Satan was going to be a handful.

Astarte sighed, "I know. I don't want to hurt him, Ba'al. I've grown quite fond of him and others." She confessed.

"I too have grown to enjoy our time here. But we must maintain the illusion we are still completely loyal to our master. He mustn't know that we've had a change of heart." Astarte nodded in understanding.

"I've tried to guide him in his dealings with the girl, but he doesn't listen and things are not going well."

"I take it that Satan isn't the ladies man he thinks he is?"

"That would be an understatement. He's hopeless." Ba'al admitted. Satan was proving to be more difficult than a spoiled child. Actually, he mused, referring to Lucifer as a spoiled child was quite accurate. He'd been the favored son until he dared to question his father's wisdom. Being thrown to the bowels of eternity in order to teach him a lesson was his punishment. A _time out_ of sorts. However, like any spoiled brat, instead of realizing and admitting to his mistakes, he grew surer that his path was the correct one and was only more determined to prove it to his father.

"What will you be doing down there?"

Ba'al took a deep breath, turning to look right into her eyes. "I've been tasked with finding a traitor."

"He thinks-"

"Not us." Ba'al assured her quickly watching relief wash over her features. "The spell for the possession has yielded unexpected results. Edward is capable of affecting Satan's actions."

Astarte's eyes grew wide in astonishment. "How?"

"Apparently, there are moments when the boy's soul is lucid. He's able to cause Satan immense pain to the point where he veers from his course in order to stop it. I will endeavor to do Satan's bidding while finding a way to use this development to our benefit. You must work with him. You must help him woo the girl but keep your eyes open for cracks we can use to our advantage." Ba'al turned away from her, preparing to go to his room. Astarte stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"Be careful." She said with sincere concern.

"You too." He echoed, leaning over to place an unexpected kiss on her cheek before walking away. He didn't know what he'd find when he returned to Hell, nor did he know what he would do with any information he might find. Therefore, he felt the need to make a phone call to a certain raven haired human before he left.

 **~~~TDP~~~**

The taillights of Edward's Volvo hadn't been visible for over 30 minutes, yet Bella was still fuming over his behavior.

"How dare he!" She asked the empty room, as she threw herself onto the couch.

"Aarrgghh!" She screamed, into the closest throw pillow. Edward's constant chan

ge in direction was driving her crazy. One moment he was a kind, sweet and supportive boyfriend, encouraging her to continue searching her history for answers, and the next moment he was an overbearing, rude and stifling person she didn't recognize or like. The fact that she'd succumbed to a moment of weakness and made out with him was not lost on her. Regardless of his crappy attitude, she was still attracted to him and he was still the boy she'd fallen in love with.

But his beautiful face was becoming less of a shield for his frustrating assaholic behavior, she internally noted.

Bella laid on the couch for a few more minutes, replaying her last encounter with Edward before she decided the best course of action was to ignore his edict and get back to her research. She felt there was an answer to her questions just hovering out of her reach. With a sense of renewed purpose, Bella jumped off the plaid couch and bounded up the stairs to her father's room. She set the large family bible down onto his unmade bed and opened the closet door. Wading through numerous pairs of work boots, horribly outdated Nikes and a couple of pairs of water waders, she found what she was looking for. Bella crept out of the office with a sense of sadness. The shoebox depicted a brand that has long ago gone out of style and there was a thick layer of dust coating the lid. Carefully, to not disturb the dust, she opened the box to reveal its meager contents. Charlie had never kept the box a secret from his daughter. In fact she'd looked at the contents many times as a child, but for whatever reason, today she felt that she might find a new answer scattered amongst Renee's long discarded personal effects.

Bella wiped tears from her eyes as she traced her mother's face. The picture depicted a very pregnant Renee glowing with love as she lovingly patted her large baby bump. The date on the back of the picture stated that it had been taken mere days before Bella had been born. Bella put that picture aside to look at the two dozen or so more that littered the bottom of the box. There were a couple of faded Polaroid's taken at her parent's hasty wedding. She chuckled at Charlie's clean shaven face and long hair. He looked overjoyed and immensely happy as he looked into his bride's eyes. It had been a small wedding with only a few friends and Renee's _cousin_ Theresa and her partner sitting on the bride's side of the aisle. Charlie's side wasn't overflowing with guests either, but his parents had been pillars of the small community and they had turned out for their son's wedding. Bella recognized the white bower her parent's stood under. She'd played there many times when she'd stayed at her grandparent's home. The lattice was freshly painted in the picture with lovely light purple, and blue wild Douglas Asters' filled her mother's small bouquet.

They looked so much in love. It clearly showed on both of their faces and that knowledge was reflected in the faces of their guests as well. Bella had no doubt that everyone in attendance would have bet everything they owned that Renee and Charlie Swan would grow old together.

With a sigh, Bella laid those pictures aside and picked up the rest of the photos. She flipped through each one noting how happy her mom had looked. There were pictures of her as an infant cradled closely to her mother's chest, being bounced on her mother's hip, baby Bella in a high chair with her mother wiping her face after what looked like her first taste of chocolate- there were numerous shots liked that. Bella had seen them before. She knew the answers she wanted weren't contained in them. Finally she found what she was looking for. Bella had always concentrated on the pictures that contained baby Bella, but she'd known there were a few others.

Bella leafed through the dozen or so snapshots, noting that in each one her mother had a notebook. Maybe more like a journal. In each shot Renee was either reading the journal, or writing in it. These pictures had been in the small collection of items that her mother's cousin Theresa had left her. They'd been taken at various ages, and from what Bella could tell her mother had started keeping a journal at around age twelve and had continued to do so pretty much until Bella had been born.

Bella's eyes widened, why had she never seen this before? Charlie had never mentioned that her mother had kept a journal? Surely he had read them hoping to find a clue as to why she had left?

Bella tossed the pictures back into the shoe box and hustled back into the closet. Charlie's clothes and shoes were tossed haphazardly out into the bedroom as she rummaged around.

"Bella, what are you doing?" Charlie asked as one of his old boots flew out of the closet, narrowly missing his head.

"Looking for something." Came her muffled reply.

With a shake of his head, Charlie waded through his things, reached into the closet and pulled his daughter out of the little room. Her hair was in a mass of tangles and despite the chill in the December air, there were tiny beads of sweat dotting her flushed forehead.

"What are you looking for and for god sakes, why are you looking in my closet?"

"The journals. I'm looking for the journals. They have to be in here." Charlie stepped back at her frazzled almost crazed tone.

"What journals?" He asked.

"Mom's!"

Charlie shook his head at her. "What are you talking about? Bella, what has gotten in to you? You're acting like a crazy person."

Bella rolled her eyes and pulled her arm out of his grasp. The last thing she needed was another person to tell her to stop her search. Charlie watched as she stomped over to his bed and rummaged around in an old shoe box. "A ha!" She exclaimed excitedly, as she shoved the pictures into his face.

Charlie eyed his frazzled looking child before focusing on the pictures she'd shoved into his hands. One by one he flipped through them, ignoring the way his heart clenched each time Renee's face appeared before him.

"Bella-" He started before she cut him off.

"Dad, look. In each picture she has a journal. Where are they?"

"Bella, she was a kid-"

"-It doesn't matter. Once you start and consistently keep it up, you don't just stop." She punctuated her point by pointing to the evidence of her words.

"I don't know what to tell you. I remember that she kept them when we first met but once you were born, I can't think of a single time I saw her writing in one." Bella's face fell at his words. She was sure the missing journals would hold her answers.

Charlie put the photos back in the box and pulled his baby in for a hug.

"I was sure Dad. I was sure I'd find my answers there. And then I could tell _him_ to stuff it!" Bella half-sobbed into this chest.

"Honey, I don't think we'll ever have the answer as to why she left. We just have to keep moving forward."

"Not just that answer. I want to know what she thought she'd figured out about our family history." Charlie's eyes darkened. He'd been afraid of this. Bella was acting strangely just like Renee had done right before she had taken off.

Bella saw the worry in her dad's eyes. "Dad, wait. I'm not, um, it's not like that." She stuttered, trying to reassure him. The last thing she needed was for Charlie to go all _Edward_ on her and demand she stop searching. "Really it's not." She wiped the remnants of her tears of frustration from her face.

"It's just, well, Edward forbade me to search more, and I wanted to find something that I could use to show him up."

"He what? He _forbade_ you?" Charlie didn't like that one bit. No one told his little girl what to do but her father. That Cullen kid was seriously earning an invitation to a _Charlie Swan Sit Down_.

"Yeah. He got all upset and told me that I had to stop searching my past."

"Why?" Charlie had his own reasons for not wanting his daughter to get caught up in whatever had consumed her mother. But why would it bother Edward?

"I don't know." Bella shrugged. "He's being a serious jerk lately. One moment he's _good Edward_ , and the next he's _bad Edward._ It's very frustrating. _"_ Charlie noted the concern in her voice. As a police officer he'd seen how a bad family dynamic could alter a person's personality. He hadn't seen a family as broken as the Cullen's in a long time. There was little doubt in his mind that Edward would eventually be affected by whatever the hell was going on with the Cullen's.

"Maybe you and Edward need to take a step back?" He suggested, hopefully. "And maybe you should give your searching a rest? Honey, as much as I want to find the answers, I don't like the way this stuff is affecting you." He motioned to the chaos she'd wreaked on his room.

Bella chewed on her bottom lip, a nervous habit she'd had since childhood, and thought about what her father had suggested. She decided to step around his Edward suggestion. "Dad, what I need right now is support," she said, looking her father straight in the eye. "I _need_ to do this. I'm tired of not knowing what really happened…You keep saying that mom was acting crazy when she started looking into the past. Have you ever asked yourself why she was acting like that?" Charlie's moustache twitched at her question. "I mean, it's like she was taking a drug or something, there has to be a connection to what she was finding that caused her to react that way. Honestly, there are a lot of weird coincidences in this thing. Some of them are really hard to explain." Charlie looked towards the book. Truthfully, he'd never really studied it. After he'd exhausted all the normal avenues of investigating Renee's disappearance and finding nothing that would lead him to believe her departure from their lives had been anything other than her choice, he'd been content to continue placing the blame on her fragile mental state rather than believing Renee's rantings and seriously looking into what she'd said she found. Now, recognizing the same haunted and confused look in his daughter's eyes, Charlie was rethinking his options.

"Please dad, I need to do this."

Seeing the earnestness of her words reflected in her eyes, Charlie nodded with a tight smile. He didn't believe in the supernatural, not even a little bit, but he loved his daughter, and for her he'd do just about anything.

With a heavy sigh, Charlie put his arm around his baby, giving her a reassuring hug. "Let's start in the attic. Maybe there's something up there I've missed."

* * *

Just a quickie to move things forward. Next up we take a trip to Hell and Satan gets dating advice from Rose. Gee, it almost sounds like an after school special. LOL!

Remember, to leave me your thoughts.

Until next time,

~ruinedbyrob


	31. Chapter 31

Thank you to all of you that took the time to shoot me a review. I've been a bit of a fail with the replies, but know that I read each one and appreciate them very much!

I've had a few complaints about the pacing. I'm hoping to fix that. Writing this type of story is completely foreign to me and I'm trying to learn as I go.

Much love to my pre-reader, Sazzledazzled and beta,Edwardsfirstkiss. I couldn't do this without them. They're the best!

Disclaimer: SM owns Twilight. Devilward is mine.

* * *

 **The Devil's Plan**

 **Chapter 31**

 _Puzzle Pieces Discovered_

Ba'al hurried down the seemingly endless dark and dank hallway trying to avoid the hands of the tormented as they reached out from their trapped positions on the walls and ceilings. He rounded a corner, narrowly missing the shaking hand of what appeared to be a female. Her skin was gone, leaving muscles, ligaments and in some places, bone visible to his naked eye. She'd been nailed to the wall, spread eagle. Her eyes were vacantly staring into space as her hands grasped at air. Her torture probably so traumatic that her brain had disengaged, leaving only autonomous reactions to what had to be immeasurable pain.

Ba'al's body involuntary shuddered at the sight. He quickened his pace to get away from the monstrous form. His short respite from Hell hadn't purged his memory of this dark and loathsome place. Or the threat of his punishment if he was unable to fulfill his task.

"Aro!" Ba'al called as he entered the man's meager chamber.

Startled, Aro jumped from the stone bench he'd been sitting on, scattering parchments in his haste and quickly bending his head in submission thinking that the Dark Lord had entered.

"Oracle, what have you done?" Ba'al asked simply. He hadn't the time to wage words with this ancient being.

Realizing that it wasn't Satan, standing before him, Aro lifted his head in defiance.

"Whatever do you mean?" Aro asked with a strong and steady voice. Seeing that it was only a fellow prisoner of Hell, he didn't need to supplicate himself to the intruder.

Ba'al shook his head and walked over to the table that was covered in what he presumed to be evidence of the Oracle's visions.

"Stop that!" Aro ordered, alarmed that Ba'al was going through his papers.

"Why, do you have something to hide?" Ba'al may be only another resident in Hell, same as Aro, but he'd once been a general of legions and a god among men, well versed in gaining the truth from mortals. He wouldn't allow this fallen being: thinking he had the upper hand.

"I don't answer to you." Aro spoke quickly, pulling his writings from Ba'al's hands.

Ba'al turned and grabbed the man by the neck, halting Aro's movements. Papers fell from his hands fluttering to the ground as Ba'al increased his grip. "Oh, but you do answer to me. I've been sent here on orders to find a traitor." Aro's eyes widened fearfully at Ba'al's words.

"Ah, yes, now we understand each other. Good." Ba'al slowly released the gasping man, taking a perverse pleasure in Aro's obvious discomfort. "Let's begin again," he said, fixing a steely gaze onto the cowering man. "What have you done?"

 **~~~TDP~~~**

"Yes, I'll be there in five minutes," Charlie said, before disconnecting the call. "Bella, I have to go, apparently the cold hasn't done enough to discourage Mrs. Cope's nephews from chasing her cat up a tree."

Bella laughed and shook her head. "Tell Jason and Georgie hello and give 'Snookie' a hug from me."

"Will do. Are you going to be alright up here by yourself?"

"Really?" Bella raised an eye brow at her father's assertion that their attic was too scary for her.

"Okay, okay," Charlie said humorously. "I didn't mean that my strong independent daughter couldn't handle the big bad attic, I meant, if you find something…will you be okay?"

Bella looked around the dusty but surprisingly well organized attic and nodded. They'd gone through nearly all the boxes and hadn't found even one journal. She was beginning to think that they'd been wasting their time. "I'll be fine." She promised.

"Okay. Once I get that damn cat out of the tree and have another conversation with the boys, I need to swing by the station and check on everything. I shouldn't be longer than a couple of hours." He walked towards the ladder, stopping at the top and turning back towards her. "I love you, baby," he said simply before beginning his climb down.

"I love you too." Bella repeated as she watched her father's head disappear from sight. Turning away from the ladder, she refocused on the few boxes she had left to go through. Having deduced that the chances of her mother's missing journals being in the box, labeled, _Baby Charlie_ were slim, she pushed it aside and opened the next labeled, _Charlie-private_ , only to find a pair of ice skates, a cigar box filled with concert ticket stubs, a ratty pair of socks and a cylindrical contraption that that looked suspiciously like a bong. Shaking her head at the thought of her law upholding father engaging in recreational drug use, Bella quickly put the paraphernalia back into the box and pushed it aside.

Bella proceeded to go through the rest of the boxes, with no results. Resigned that she'd spent the better part of the afternoon on a fool's errand, she made her way over to the ladder intending to engage in baking therapy. With recipes for decadent desserts swimming in her head, she began climbing down from the attic when something caught her eye. Off to her right appeared to be a board out of place, right under the window sill. There was an old bean bag chair pushed close to the board, the one area in the space that had natural light. "Hmm, enough light to write by?" Bella questioned. Hoisting herself back up the ladder, Bella walked over to the out of place board. Cursing her short fingernails, she tugged and prodded at the board several times before successfully breaking it loose. As strong and independent as she was, she was still reluctant to stick her hand into a dark hole. Glimpses of the scene from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, where Willie, Indiana's female companion had to stick her hand in a similar looking space in order to save Indy and Shortround from certain death, only to find herself besieged with all manner of creepy crawling things, flashed through her mind. "Just do it!" Bella ordered. With a deep breath and a quick prayer hoping that there were no rats living in the space, she stuck her hand inside. Finding nothing willing to crawl or bite her hand, she cautiously explored. Just inside to the left, she felt paper. Carefully, Bella began to pull the item towards the opening. Barely, containing her excitement, Bella gazed at the worn notebook. The blue cover was dusty and there were a few curled pages but it looked to be in fairly good shape. Bella looked at the fading light through the one window and decided to take the book to her room.

Bella forced herself to stay calm as she washed her hands of the dirt and sweat they'd accumulated from her time in the attic, but her mind was racing with questions she hoped would be answered in the notebook.

Bella got comfortable on her bed and opened the journal to the first page. It was dated August 15, 1988, less than a month before she turned two years old. In her mother's graceful script, Bella read passages where Renee declared how much she loved being a mother and a wife. Some entries were paragraphs and some just a sentence or two. Renee's musings brought a smile to Bella's face. It was a comfort to know that her mother had loved her, yet it brought to mind more questions as to why she had left them.

Bella leafed through the journal, for nearly an hour before she noticed something off. The entry was dated May 18, 1990. Unlike the other passages where Renee's thoughts were cohesive and calm, this one was composed of frantic snippets of thoughts.

 _Not an accident! I think my family was murdered._

Bella's heart quickened as she read the passage. She quickly turned the page to find more equally puzzling posts.

 _June 16, 1990 - Need more evidence to confirm my suspicions._

 _June 22, 1990- Library was a bust. Will continue search. Maybe Port Angeles? I need to access records in Italy._

 _July 8, 1990- Charlie wants me to stop searching. He doesn't want to face the facts! He's blind to what's been happening. I'll open his eyes!_

 _July 10- Things are beginning to add up. There is a Roman Catholic Church in Port Angeles. Father Ignatius has been very helpful with translations. He has connections in Italy. He's going to help me!_ _Charlie is still not behind me. He thinks I'm neglecting Bella. I'm not! I'm doing this all for her. To keep her safe. If he doesn't want to help, I'll do it myself._

 _July 23-Succes! Faxes arrived today from Italy. The police reports of the deaths are very spotty, but clearly they labeled their deaths as accidents only because it was easy. My suspicions were correct, Mother was pregnant at the time of her death. I'm going to go back through the book, I know there's more to find!_

 _August 1- Just as I thought, the Cygnus curse is far more sinister than I was led to believe. Even a hundred years ago my ancestors knew something was wrong. I must ensure that Bella's soul is safe!_

Bella's heart quickened as she read the passages. This was making sense. Charlie had told her that Renee started badgering him about having her baptized and insisting they begin attending church. She also remembered him saying that Renee was certain that her parent's death wasn't an accident. Bella quickly turned the page to find only one more entry. It was dated three days before Renee disappeared.

 _August 9, 1990- I saw him again. Not an illusion as Charlie insists. And not just in my dreams. He was real this time and he was watching me. Watching us!_

 _Father Ignatius has been missing for a three days. I fear the worst. I begged Father Augustus to complete the baptism ceremony, but he refused. Stupid man! Clinging to his rules when the darkness is at the door. Bella cried uncontrollably when we were in the church. AS if the very act of being in the place was causing her pain. She wouldn't settle down. Father Augustus insisted that we leave. He wants me to go through the proper channels while our very souls are at risk? I DON"T HAVE TIME FOR THAT! On the way out, I touched her head with the holy water, wiping some on my forehead as well. I swear he shrunk from us as we ran to the car. Ha! Take that you devil! I will secure her soul. You will not harm either of my children!_

 _The Devil's Plan ends now!_

Bella gasped as the book fell from her fingers onto the floor. Renee's rantings had left her breathless and trembling. Renee's ramblings had reached a crescendo and Bella felt as if the roof had fallen in on her. Questions swirled around in her head until she became dizzy. Bella rushed to the bathroom, kneeling over the toilet hoping that relief would come. It didn't. She dry heaved for several minutes until she collapsed on the floor with her feverish forehead laying on the cool tiles.

Bella closed her eyes trying to fight off the dizziness. Behind her closed lids, the questions continued to bombard her senses.

 _Who was this man Renee claimed to have seen? She called him the 'Devil'. Was that a metaphor?_

 _Did her mother have the same dreams that she'd had?_

 _Why did her mother say that her children would be safe? Do I have a sibling?_

 _Was Renee crazy? Was there a chance that her mother's mental instability was passed on to her?_

Bella didn't know how long she'd laid on the floor of the bathroom. The sound of Charlie calling her name broke her out of her stupor.

"Bella!" The sound of his heavy footsteps coming up the stairs prompted her to action. She went to the sink and quickly splashed cold water over her blotchy face. Her eyes were rimmed in red, she would tell him it was the dust from the attic.

Bella took another glimpse of herself in the mirror. She looked terrible. He would notice.  
She didn't know what to tell him about what she'd found. If she showed him the journal, he would probably use it as confirmation that her mother had been out of her mind. There was no evidence to back up any of Renee's accusations. At least nothing that Charlie would believe, but what Bella had experienced on Halloween night and the dreams she'd had were evidence enough for her to want to investigate further into what Renee had written.

"Bella!" Charlie roared again. With a deep breath, Bella yanked open the door to find her father standing directly in front of the bathroom door with a raised fist to knock.

"Geez, dad. Can't a girl use the bathroom in peace?" She said jokingly while dodging to the left in order to go around him and down the stairs. "I was just about to start dinner. Tacos sound okay?" She asked while keeping her face down and away from his

"Hold it!" He ordered.

Bella's face fell as she heard him come up behind her.

"Are you okay?" Bella closed her eyes at the sound of his concern. She hated lying to her father. Fixing a smile on her face, she turned to face him.

"Yep!" She said brightly, noticing that his eyes narrowed as they took in her face. "It's super dusty up there," she said pointing to the attic. "I've been snot-sneezing my _berries_ off."

Charlie laughed. Her colorful language always managing to give him a laugh.

"You sure that's all it is?" She nodded. Not willing to voice another lie.

"Okay, but you'll tell me if that changes? If I need to have a conversation with that boy, or if you find something…" His voice faltered, neither of them needed a clarification of what he meant.

Bella nodded again.

"Alrighty then, if you start the meat, I'll get to chopping." His eyebrows quirked up as he rubbed his hands together in anticipation of dinner. Charlie was a taco fiend and Bella had used that fact to her advantage.

Father and daughter proceeded with their dinner preparations. Both keeping the conversation light and fun. Charlie wasn't completely fooled. Even as she laughed at his retelling of his afternoon of cat rescue, he knew something was up and he figured it had to be the boy. He was certain Bella would tell him about anything she might have found in the attic. He'd be having a conversation with that kid soon.

Bella knew Charlie was putting on a show, and she gladly participated. Anything to keep her mind off what she'd found. Allowing her father to think that Edward was the only cause of her distress would have made her uncomfortable if his attitude of late hadn't made her so angry and confused. Maybe a dose of father logic would get Edward to change course? It couldn't hurt.

 **~~~TDP~~~**

While the Swan's stuffed themselves with Tex-Mex and avoidance, across the small town, the 'boy' in question was having his own problems. Edward had come out of his latest stupor to find himself standing in front his bathroom mirror. Apparently he'd taken a shower and was now flexing in front of the still foggy mirror _admiring_ himself.

"Not bad for a human." Devilward commented while running his hands down Edward's chest. He tugged on the towel wrapped around his waist, revealing Edward's flaccid cock. "But this is a problem."

Devilward took Edward in hand and tugged on his dick. "Why does this not work? Should I be taking medication or perhaps I've assumed incorrectly? Do I need to find male on male action to wake it up? " He asked into the mirror, clearly expecting Edward to answer him.

" _It works dammit!"_ Edward screamed, hating himself for falling for the Devil's teasing. _"I don't need medication and I certainly don't want to watch male porn!"_

Devilward chuckled at Edward's outburst. He'd been bored waiting for Astarte to show up and like it or not, Edward was a captive audience to his mocking. "Huh, then why won't it get hard? While my real physical body is far superior to a human's, I was unprepared for how small and soft this thing is. "

" _Stop calling my dick 'small and soft'! It works when_ _ **I**_ _ **want it to work!"**_ Edward could feel his heart starting to speed up as his blood pressure increased. "I'm going to have a heart attack at 17 years old while allowing Satan to use my body to feel up my girlfriend and he's taunting me about why my dick won't get hard?" Edward thought to himself.

" _Wait, that's the problem isn't it? You don't command that part of my body. I do!"_ Edward was jubilant to discover this fact. Devilward, was not as happy about his revelation. He'd been trying to manipulate Edward's uncooperative genitalia for days.

"Cease you're prattling. I've grown weary of it." Devilward demanded before tucking the discarded towel around his hips. "You control nothing!" He sneered, pushing Edward out of his half of their shared mind.

Edward remained silent as he watched himself in the mirror as Devilward directed his limbs to push his hair away from his forehead before brushing his teeth. To his surprise, Devilward was very conscientious about his hygiene. Satan's concern for good hygiene aside, Edward couldn't stop thinking about what had just happened and why Satan kept trying to get closer to Bella?

As Edward pondered his revelation and ensuing question, Devilward, finished with his ablutions and, sauntered back into Edward's room. He'd come back from Bella's in a bad mood. He'd ranted and raved to an empty room about the injustices inflicted on him in this realm. Normally, he'd _pop_ in, do this thing and then head back downstairs where he was revered accordingly. He'd not spent this amount of time on earth before and hadn't thought through how constrained he'd be. With no real power except for his powers of persuasion, the Devil felt a tad behind the eight ball and he was well and truly vexed. Especially, after discovering that his Swan possessed a strong will and had not easily fallen for his charms. Even more troubling was the knowledge that Edward was still in possession of a few of his faculties, one of his more important faculties and was slowly gaining strength. He may have overplayed his hand this morning, but how was he to achieve his goal with uncooperative yet required genitalia?

He would probably need to kill someone in order to put Edward back in line. Satan began to debate the pros and cons of killing everyone Edward loved. Edward was unaware of the horror Satan was planning, as he tried to decipher what the Devil wanted with Bella. Both host and _guest_ were deep in thought when Astarte arrived.

"Sire." Astarte greeted her master, with bowed head reverence. Her arrival drew the attention of both the Devil and Edward.

"Where have you been?" Devilward demanded, taking in the slightly disheveled appearance of his minion.

"Sire, I came as soon as Ba'al informed me I was needed. What can I do to assist you?" Devilward toyed with telling her to get on her knees and prove to Edward who was really in charge, but he could feel the boy stirring in his head and didn't want to chance failure.

"I require you to be available at all times," he said sternly, pleased that Astarte bowed her head in response to his demand. "I will also need your perspective on my current dealings with my Swan. But first, do you have any of those round tablets for my head?"

Astarte tilted her head quizzically at his question before realizing he was asking for a pain reliever. Nodding, she rummaged around in her purse and produced a bottle of Midol. Astarte shook several capsules into his outstretched hand. Astarte had to suppress the urge to laugh at the image of The Devil taking a pain reliever meant for menstrual cramps.

Satan closed his eyes as the capsules delivered their healing magic. He was now in pain whenever Edward was conscious and it was taking more of the multi-colored tablets to quiet the brat.

Astarte waited quietly for Satan to address her. Finally, after feeling Edward's presence began to dull, Devilward told Astarte what had happened with Bella.

"Sire, I think things can be remedied easily," Astarte said. "You simply must apologize."

Astarte shrank against the door as Devilward turned his fiery eyes upon her. "Apologize? You dare assume that I'm wrong? Have you forgotten who I am?!"

"No. Sire, of course, I didn't mean to assert that you were wrong, only for you to give her the illusion that you are. All you have to do is to say the words." Astarte said,steadfast under his gaze.

"Just say the words?"

"Yes, you don't need to mean them. Humans rarely mean what they say, yet they accept the words with nary a thought."

"I cannot do that. She mustn't continue on her quest."

"Sire, will she find something if she continues?" Astarte knew she was pushing a boundary, but she was grasping for anything that would help Ba'al and her.

Devilward breathed heavily for a moment as he decided how much to tell her. "Suffice to say, that if she continues this quest she may stumble upon things that will cause me a great amount of bother."

"Then you must find a way to distract her." 

* * *

I'm considering writing something for the Babies at the Border Fiction Compilation. I think it's a very important cause that deserves as much attention as we can bring to it. Please, write and call your representative and let them know that regardless of how you feel about immigration, what has gone on is beyond cruel and those children need to be returned to their families. I urge you to check out the Babies at the Border Facebook page. Lots of incredible authors are joining the cause.

As always, your support means everything to me. Thank you so much for the encouragement and kind words.

ruinedbyrob


	32. Chapter 32

No, you're eyes aren't deceiving you. This is a real, honest to goodness update! It took a long time **,** and I started it over several times but here it is! The pieces are falling into place. We'll start moving a bit faster as we go forward.

Thank you all for hanging with me and understanding that my RL commitments are ruling me right now. Your support means the world to me!

Much love to my pre-reader Sazzledazzle and beta Edwardsfirstkiss. They give me so much support and guidance. I couldn't do this without them.

SM owns all Twilight related stuff. I own nothing but Devilward and a chubby chow named Bella that refuses to snuggle with me!

* * *

 **The Devil's Plan**

 **Chapter 32**

"Does this mean what I think it does?" Ba'al's whole body twitched with electricity as he peered onto the parchment in his hands.

Aro looked down at the stone floor, his own body twitching with the knowledge of what he'd done. And what it could mean for him now that Ba'al knew what he'd done.

"Answer me!" Ba'al's voice was laced with authority. In spite of his want to not show Ba'al fear, Aro found himself quickly speaking to the demi-god's demand.

"Yes." Aro said simply, he kept his head down, hoping that Ba'al would kill him rather than make him wait for Satan's wrath.

"The words have been altered…The vessel has control." Ba'al half whispered to himself as he tried to fully comprehend what he held in his hands.

"How does it work?" He finally asked.

"It doesn't matter. All is lost." Aro fell to his knees, his head bowed as he waited for the death blow he was certain that Satan's servant was there to deliver.

With the parchment held tightly in his hand, Ba'al moved to look out the door and down the hallway. After assuring that no one was within reach, he reentered Aro's chamber.

"We have much to discuss." He whispered to the quivering man.

Aro looked up slowly, his heavy brow furrowed questioningly.

Ba'al knelt down so that he was eye to eye with the seer. "You and I, it seems, are working towards the same end." Aro stared into Ba'al's blue eyes. He saw arrogance, intelligence and strength. All traits expected from a demi-god. It was the fear that he saw that made him nod in understanding.

With Ba'al's help Aro managed to get up off the floor. The two men moved to sit on the stone bench farthest from the door.

Ba'al winced slightly at the heat that permeated his robes from the stone wall.

"Tell me." Aro's eyes flitted quickly away from Ba'al's demanding stare. "He already knows that the vessel is aware."

"Then what more do you need from me? My fate is sealed." Aro's shoulders again slumped in defeat.

"He knows that the boy is aware, but he doesn't know how much power he retains or that his grip is unbreakable. You must tell me all of it, so I can help."

"Help?"Aro scoffed. "You and that creature you call _sister_ are his minions. Why would you help derail his plans?"

"I- we have had a change of heart. What Satan wants cannot happen."

"It can't happen." Aro echoed with a sigh. "Let me tell you what I've done."

~~~TDP~~~

Bella packed her school bag with a feeling of unease. She wasn't worried about school itself, she'd always been a good student. As curious as she was, school spoke to her strengths. Solving problems, watching the cause and effect from chemistry experiments and physics formulas, adding to her vocabulary while opening her mind to philosophy and learning from past mistakes in history classes; it all appealed to her. No, it wasn't the thought of returning to classes that had her shoulders hunched and her movements deliberately slow, it was the thought of seeing Edward. After their fight, he'd made himself scarce. At first she'd been too preoccupied with her discovery to worry much about his absence in her life. But as the weight of what she'd found settled around her, she would admit to missing his presence. She needed the old Edward back. The boy who held her hand and promised to help her find the truth. The caring boy who held her close while whispering soothing words in her ear as she retold the dreams that kept her up at night. She missed the boy who had shared his own heartache with her because he wanted her to know him, all of him. Even with the chance that she would be repulsed by what he had told her, Edward had poured his heart out and laid himself bare and vulnerable to her.

She needed her Edward now. She needed him to help her sort through what she'd found in her mother's journal. Bella needed a cool head to listen to her fears and soothe her heart when she sobbed.

This new Edward wouldn't do any of that. He was as far away from the boy she'd fallen in love with as you could get.

After hastily wiping a lone tear from her cheek, she hurriedly zipped up her bag and grabbed water bottle before locking the door and heading for her car.

The drive back to school was bittersweet. While she was looking forward to the distraction of friends and homework, her mind was running in a million differed directions, leaving little room for history, English and Biology. Additionally aforementioned jerk boyfriend would be in attendance making the chances of avoiding him fairly low. After his last hissy fit, three days ago, she'd successfully dodged him. Truthfully, it hadn't been too hard a task as he'd not called or attempted to see her.

Bella parked her trusty Civic and quickly scanned the parking lot. She relaxed slightly when she saw Alice's light blue Volkswagen bug, parked a row ahead of her spot. She hadn't had a chance to talk much with Alice over the break. The Brandon's decided to spend most of their vacation back in Iowa visiting Mrs. Brandon's parents. The few times she'd spoken to Alice on the phone, it had been difficult to get a word in edgewise around Alice lamenting Jasper's absence and whining about how unbearably cold it was. Bella longed to speak to her oldest friend and get her thoughts about what she'd found.

January had fully landed on Forks. While not nearly as brutal as the winter was in Iowa, if Alice was to be believed, the thirty-four-degree temperature and brisk winds, chilled her to the bone.

Pulling the collar up, shielding her neck from the cold, and the light mist that always seemed to be falling, Bella grabbed her backpack out of the backseat and made her way into the school.

The warm hallway was bustling with her school mates greeting each other and swapping tales of their winter break adventures. Bella made a beeline for her locker, not making eye contact with anyone lest she see Edward and be forced to acknowledge his presence before she was ready. The first bell rang and with her World History and English books in tow, Bella headed to her first period.

"Bella!" Alice exclaimed as she slid into her seat. "It's so good to see you!" The girls only had time for a quick embrace as Mr. Jorgenson called the class to order.

"How are you?" Bella asked as she and Alice made their way to English.

"Good, great actually. Jasper got back yesterday. It's been wonderful." Alice beamed happily. While Bella had softened somewhat towards Jasper, she still wary of him and his influence on her friend. Alice no longer constantly displayed that children of the corn zombie look. However, the blankness still showed up when Alice was in Jasper's presence for very long. And to Bella's displeasure, she generally sided with him. That was another reason Bella had been reluctant to share too much of her relationship woes. She didn't want to hear Jasper's opinions concerning her digging into her past as Bella was sure his misogynist attitude would mirror Edward's. And she wasn't about to allow another man order her around.

"Good, Alice. I'm glad you're happy." Bella offered as Alice entered her French language classroom that was next to Bella's English class.

"See you at lunch." Alice said with a dainty wave before disappearing into the crowd.

Bella's stomach dropped at the thought. Her table consisted of Alice, Jasper and Edward. Maybe she would skip lunch?

"Bella, I saved you a seat." Bella smiled at Angela's greeting. Angela had witnessed a bit of Edward's attitude. Bella was fairly certain Angela would not side with Edward. Making the quiet, and shy girl her best ally.

~~~TDP~~~

"Is this really necessary?" Devilward asked, tugging on the plaid button-down Astarte had demanded he wear over a plain white tee shirt. He was already irked that he would have to attend the child's school. The Lord of Hell, pretending to be a human student? How utterly degrading!

"Yes." Astarte replied, handing the Devil a pair of polished black Doc Martens to finish off his outfit.

Satan gazed at the shoes with admiration. "These I like. Much more befitting to my image."

Astarte quickly turned away from him so she could roll her eyes without fear of having her eyes scooped from her head. The last few days had been trying, to say the least. Satan had complained and pushed back at every one of her suggestions. He'd proven to be much more of a child than the one he currently inhabited.

"Rose, let's go!" Emmett angrily bellowed up the stairs. He was not at all happy about his girlfriend's sudden desire to be Edward's best friend. After their Christmas morning altercation, Emmett had done his best to avoid his brother, even more than usual. It seemed that Emmett wasn't the only one in the family going out of their way to avoid Edward. His father had been spending more time at the hospital and his mother had been staying in her room all day, only coming out to get more ice for the seemingly bottomless glass of vodka that was always in her hand. Even Kodi was doing what he could to evade the kid. "You know there's something wrong with him, right?" Kodi, looked up and blinked his big brown eyes. Emmett reached down to ruffle the dog's fuzzy head. Kodi leaned into his touch, appreciating the comfort one his boy's was giving him.

Emmett and Kodi both looked up at the sound of footsteps on the stairs. Emmett's body turned rigid as Rose came into view with Edward right behind her. Kodi tensed and let out a low growl as the pair came closer.

"What is that animal's problem?" Rose snorted, stopping at the bottom of the stairs to stare at the ruffled dog.

"Chows are guard dogs," Emmett said with a shrug. "He's guarding."

Edward remained silent but stared at the visibly upset puppy. Emmett watched as Kodi cowered under Edward's glare.

"Kodi, go find mom." Emmett ordered sternly. He didn't understand why, but he felt that his mom needed the comfort and watchfulness the puppy could provide. Kodi moved slowly towards the stairs, staying as far away as possible from Edward. His steps quickened when a low growl emitted from Devilward.

"Jesus, Edward!" Devilward smirked as the chubby puppy fled up the stairs. "What the hell is your problem?"

Devilward ignored Emmett's question as he proceeded towards the kitchen. Emmett stiffened as his brother belligerently brushed past him, effectively knocking Emmett into the door jamb on his way.

"I've just about had enough-"

"-I desire to break my fast." Devilward uttered, interrupting Emmett.

Emmett watched in open mouth astonishment as his girlfriend rushed into the kitchen. Devilward raised his eyebrow and smirked at the giant boy's shock as the blond fixed his breakfast.

~~~TDP~~~

"Have you seen him yet?" Bella shook her head at Angela's question. She'd successfully made it through all of her morning classes without even a glimpse of Edward. Her lunch period was next. The odds of missing him then were low. Bella's stomach began to knot as the minutes ticked down to the end of the period.

Bella sat in her seat watching her classmates file into the hallway on their way to the cafeteria. Slowly, Bella gathered her things and followed them out.

With a whopping enrollment of two hundred and eighty-nine students at Forks High School, it was necessary to split the lunch periods into grades. Ninth and tenth grades ate first, leaving the cafeteria free for the eleventh and twelfth grade students, making it difficult to hide from a certain messy haired boy. Keeping her head down, Bella moved through the lunch line grabbing a salad, an apple and a bottle of lemonade. With her tray loaded, she had no excuse to stay in line. Lifting her head, she saw him.

He was sitting with his back to her at a table with Alice, Jasper, Ben and Angela. Alice was speaking animatedly with Ben while sitting as close as possible to Jasper without sitting in his lap. Angela was nibbling on a carrot stick while nervously looking from Edward to Bella. There was one empty seat at the table. Of course, it was next to Edward.

For a moment, Bella calculated the odds of slipping between senior football players, Matt Whitmer and Don Wright, using their large presence to shield her so she could slip out of the cafeteria without making eye contact with Edward. Before she had decided on her plan, Edward abruptly looked up and turned his head. Bella stiffened as his eyes zeroed in on her. She was caught in an Edward Cullen tractor beam, powerless to move from his sight.

Edward stood up, pulling out the empty chair next to him and motioning for Bella to join him. In that moment, he looked every inch the boy she'd fallen for. She'd always thought Edward was beautiful, as gorgeous as any model gracing the covers of countless teen magazines. Today, with his blue and red plaid button down atop a plain white tee, setting off his fitted dark wash jeans, his was stunning. Bella shook her head, clearing it of the foggy thoughts. "You can't dazzle your way out of this." She murmured under her breath as Edward gracefully walked towards her.

"Allow me to carry your tray." Edward reached forward to take her lunch.

Bella took a step back, clutching her lunch. "I'm still mad at you."

It could have been the artificial lighting of the cafeteria, but Bella could swear that anger flashed in his eyes, but was quickly doused.

Edward leaned forward, his intoxicating scent surrounded Bella, blocking out the mixed aromas of cafeteria food.

"I know," he said, into her ear. "And I'm sorry for that." Edward moved back until he could see her face. He looked sincere, but she stood stiffly, holding her ground.

"It will take more than that to fix this." Anger flushed through her body. He'd selfishly abandoned her when she'd needed him the most. He didn't know what she'd since discovered and had been dealing with on her own. The weight of which, was staggering to her.

"I understand. What I said was wrong. I beg of you to allow me the opportunity to rectify my mistake."

"Really?" She asked, warily, wanting to believe him if only for the comfort she might gain from sharing her burden.

"Please allow me to escort you to the table." Edward took her tray, balancing it on one hand while placing the other at the small of her back and gently prodding her forward. Bella allowed his assertiveness, not wanting to cause a scene in front of half of the school population and in part hoping that he was being sincere.

As the couple moved towards the table, their path was completely unhindered as the usual bustling crowd seemed to part, allowing them a clear path. Bella moved forward unaware of the way her classmates were acting in Edward's presence. She didn't notice how boys quickly averted their gaze when Edward turned his eyes on them or how the girls moved around each other to gain better positions among their friends to gaze upon him.

Edward placed her tray on the table and gallantly pulled her chair out for her. Bella blushed slightly before taking her seat. Edward had always been polite, but this level of chivalry was new.

Edward gracefully sank into the seat next to her, angling his chair so that his right knee brushed up against her left thigh.

"Allow me," Edward said, twisting the cap from her lemonade with one flick of his wrist.

"Thank you." Bella murmured. She understood he was trying. She would have to try too.

"Ange, I thought you said they were fighting. Ouch!" Ben exclaimed, when Angela planted her foot firmly upon his toes in rebuke.

"Angela was not wrong," Edward said, taking Bella's hand, placing a soft kiss to her knuckles. "I was very rude to Bella, a mistake that I hope she will graciously allow me to erase."

"Aw, that's so sweet." Alice sighed. "Don't you think that's sweet, Bella?"

Bella nodded, hesitantly.

"So, tell him you forgive him already." Alice prompted, with a big smile directed at Edward.

"Um, it's more complicated than that." Bella had no intention of spilling the contents of their fight and was a little miffed at Alice's interference on Edward's behalf.

"Sure, it is, when you love someone you'll forgive them for anything. I could never stay mad at my love." Alice snuggled into Jasper's side.

"Alice, Bella is well within her rights to hold me accountable for my actions." Bella's head swiveled towards Edward in surprise. His eyes were leveled on hers in what appeared to be regret. As angry as Bella had been at him, she could not fault the sincerity of his apology.

"Alice, leave it." Jasper quietly ordered, just as Alice opened her mouth to once again interfere.

Thankfully, Ben began asking everyone what they'd done over their vacation, diverting attention away from Bella and Edward. Bella had never been so thankful for Ben's chatty nature. Alice immediately began regaling the group with tales of her trip to Iowa.

Bella turned her attention to her lunch but realized that she'd lost her appetite and pushed it away from her.

"Has my apology not softened your heart towards me? Am I not speaking the words you wish to hear?" Bella shook her head and turned towards him. Her hackles up like a Doberman on patrol.

"Is that what you're doing? Are you just saying words I want to hear?"

"Is that not correct?" Edward's eyes narrowed slightly as they landed on the table where Rosalie and Emmett were sitting.

Bella followed his gaze, wondering why he sought his brother out. "Edward, I need more than just words. I need to feel that you mean them. Saying them means nothing if there is no action to back them up." Her shoulders sagged with the thought that he was giving her empty words. What little hope she'd had that he was once again going to be a partner to her faded.

"Bella, I hope you don't think me too forward for interjecting, but if I may offer this, when I returned home from my trip, Edward confided in me that he'd wronged you. He was quite upset. If it means anything to you, there is no doubt in my mind that his words are true." Jasper said, offering her a friendly smile before nodding at Edward. Edward tensed for a moment before giving him a slight head nod in return.

"Oh, Jazz, that's so sweet." Alice exclaimed, kissing him on his cheek.

Eavesdropping was one of Bella's pet peeves, but seeing as they had just aired their dirty laundry at a table with four other people, in a room that was filled with even more people, she supposed overhearing what they'd said was unavoidable. Besides, maybe what the weird boy was giving her was exactly the kind of straw she'd been grasping for.

"Really?" She asked Edward.

"It's true I have been upset over the direction our relationship has taken." Edward's eyes softened minutely as he took her hand. "I wish to put this behind us," he said, bringing her hand up to his lips and placing a soft kiss on her knuckle. Bella sighed softly at his actions. Edward had never kissed her in public before. He'd never wanted to bring any attention to himself. But this Edward was different. Different in many ways Bella decided. His demeanor was more aggressive. His gait more confident. The way he presented himself to their classmates, was more befitting a captain of the football or other varsity sport than the awkwardly shy boy she knew. He acted as if the world moved for him, and not the other way around. Even his new way of speaking, while strange and a tad off putting to Bella, seemed to command everyone's attention.

"I forgive you, but don't do it again," she said, softly into his ear as he once again bent over to place another kiss on her hand.

Bella didn't notice the satisfied smirk that appeared on Edward's face at her words. But many others did. And they each had different feelings about what they'd witnessed.

~~~TDP~~~

"I think that went well." Astarte commented as she took the Philosophy book out of her open locker.

"As well as we could hope for. I suppose." Astarte rolled her eyes at Ba'al's less than hearty endorsement.

"Really? She seemed to be eating out of his hand."

"Yes, but does that truly help or hinder our goal?" Ba'al asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I did what you asked!" Astarte slammed her locker door in frustration.

Ba'al quickly looked around the crowded hallway before taking her arm and leading her to a secluded corner. "Cease your burbling." He ordered. "We have a bigger role to play and fishing for compliments will not assist in our goal." Astarte huffed at his rebuke but remained silent.

"Now, what are you doing to keep the boy at bay?"

"I'm giving him muscle relaxers. It's kind of incredible that he's still able to walk with as many as he's tak-"

"-Stop giving them to him." Ba'al ordered.

"What do I say when he asks?" Astarte's eyes were wide with a touch of fear.

"Start giving him placebos or weaker pills. We can do it gradually, but we'll need the boy's help."

"But he'll know they're not working. He'll punish me."

Ba'al grabbed her arm, pushing her up against the lockers, he was oblivious to the stares they were receiving from the students in the hall. "Look around you. Everyone in this school, town, world… _everyone_ you and I have come to care about will perish if we don't do this. Put your self-interest aside and figure out a way to do what must be done." He released her arm, turned and walked quickly down the hall.

~~TDP~~

After telling Edward that she'd forgiven him, Bella felt some of the heaviness lift from her shoulders. The distraction she'd hoped school would provide proved to be less of a help than she'd wished. Throughout the day she found her mind wandering to her mother's journal. She hadn't experienced the same nightmare that had plagued her before, it had been replaced by an even more disturbing dream. No longer did she see Edward holding her down, now, she was running from someone or something. She wasn't sure which was a more accurate description. But she was being chased, that was for sure and she wasn't alone. She was carrying a baby in her arms as she ran through the darkness. Her mother had written about feeling as if she were being watched and that the man doing the watching had been particularly interested in Bella. In the new nightmare, Bella had a similar feeling. Whatever was chasing her wanted the baby in her arms, she was running to protect the infant. But she didn't know why.

"Miss Swan, care to answer the question?" Mr. Birdie asked in annoyance.

Bella raised her head, her face red with embarrassment at being caught not listening to his introduction to his course on Comparative Religion.

"Miss Swan, do you believe there is a heaven and hell?" The teacher asked again.

"Well, um, I-" Bella's gaze flew to Edward. He was assigned a seat across the room. His eyes were narrowed and his face was set in a scowl and was trained on the teacher standing before him. Bella wondered briefly at the reason he looked so menacing towards the sixty-plus year old instructor.

"I'm waiting." Not a good way to start the semester, Bella thought before she blurted out her answer.

"I don't know. I guess I always thought heaven was real but hell was made up." Mr. Birdie's eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Interesting. And what is your reasoning?" Bella wanted nothing more but to slink down in her chair but now in addition to Mr. Birdie's gaze, it appeared the whole class was waiting to hear her answer. Edward had also turned his scrutiny towards her. His mouth turned up into an amused smirk.

"Um, well I guess because believing that the same God I was told was kind and generous and loved his children would create such a monstrous place, sounds contradicting. And the thought that there is a red-faced Devil with pointy horns and cloven feet walking around torturing all the poor souls sounds more cartoonish than horrifying. Also, why would a benevolent and just God sentence his creations to a place like that? It sounds kind of preposterous and dumb to me." Bella shrugged and sat back in her chair, surprised that she had spoken her thoughts so thoroughly.

"Hmmm, that's a thought-provoking idea, Miss Swan," Mr. Birdie said, before turning to address the rest of the class. Thankfully, the rest of the students followed suit and turned their attention away from Bella.

All but one student.

Bella wasn't sure what reaction she had expected but the stone-faced almost angry expression on Edward's face was both a surprise and a bit disconcerting.

"What?" She mouthed.

Edward narrowed his eyes and shook his head before turning away from her.

Bella rolled her eyes at his whiplash of changing of emotions and turned her attention back to the instructor. She'd been looking forward to this class as a chance to get a head start on some of the college core courses she would need to take next year, and having Edward take it with her had sounded perfect when they'd signed up for classes last October. Now, she wasn't sure what she thought.

Her family bible had serious religious undertones that Bella didn't understand, and after reading her mother's ramblings, Bella realized that again, religion played a large part in whatever Renee had thought was going on. She'd hoped that maybe this class would give her the necessary tools to figure out what her ancestors and mother had been thinking.

Thankfully the rest of class sped by without any further interaction with her instructor or Edward. When the bell rang, she grabbed her books and headed out the door only to find Edward waiting for her. She rushed past him earning an amused chuckle for her efforts. Ignoring him, she walked straight to her locker.

"I gather that I've upset you again?" Edward asked, casually leaning up against her locker, garnering appreciative looks on his handsome profile from the female population as they passed.

"What pissed you off about my answer in class?" Bella asked with a huff, throwing her book into the locker and taking out her Biology book.

Edward's smirk instantly changed to a scowl.

"Do you really believe that the Devil is a _cartoon_ , that the _Lord of Hell_ is someone to _laugh_ at?" He asked in a low and serious tone. Bella suppressed a shudder as his warm breath rushed over her ear and his scent filled her nostrils. Now was not the time to allow his closeness to cause arousal.

"I don't know. Yeah, I guess." She shrugged in answer, stepping back.

"You have much to learn on the subject." Edward growled under his breath.

Bella rolled her eyes, allowing his strange comment to roll off her back. One more thing to add to her list of things that were strange about Edward.

"That's the idea of taking the class in the first place." Bella slammed her locker door in annoyance.

His previous smirk returned

"I don't wish to fight with you. Your anger does not further my cause." He said, reaching out to curl a strand of her hair around his finger tugging her gently forward.

"And just what is your cause?" Bella asked, enjoying his playful attentions and the moment of reprieve from her troubled mind that it provided. No matter how fleeting.

Bella's heart sped as Edward leaned closer. "To make you mine." He whispered.

Bella startled when he used his teeth to place a heated kiss at the nape of her neck. All thoughts of pushing back his advances fled her heated brain.

"Ahem!" The loud clearing of a throat caused Bella to stiffen and pull away from Edward's warm mouth.

A blush of embarrassment rose in her cheeks at the disapproving look from Principal Banner.

"Ms. Swan, Mr. Cullen, I suggest you both get to your classes. Now! Or you'll find yourselves both with detention." He brusquely ordered.

"Yes, sir." Bella muttered, tugging on Edward's hand to hurry down the hall. Mr. Banner huffed loudly glaring intently at each as the pair moved in front of him.

Edward stopped in front of the miffed man and turned to look at him. His eyes blazed with anger at being interrupted. "Do not _ever_ deem to threaten me again." Devilward delivered his threat in a low, menacing snarl.

Bella didn't hear what Edward said, but she saw the look of pure terror cross Mr. Banner's face.

"Edward, c'mon." She said tugging him down the hall towards their study hall.

"You're late." Mr. Simser announced while glaring from his six-foot four height. Mr. Simser was easily the most intimidating teacher in school. In addition to his substantial height, he weighed nearly four hundred pounds and lorded over his students with an unapproachable demeanor. No one dared to disagree with the man, much less talk back to him. Bella had had the imposing man as her freshman English teacher, learning the hard way that you simply did not cross Mr. Simser.

But of course that is exactly what Edward did.

"Class starts at two –fifteen, it's two-thirteen." Edward dropped into the seat next to Bella and gave her a narrow eyed smirk.

"Class starts when I say it starts. And you're late." Mr. Simser delivered one of his patented stares where he bends his head and looks down at you over the top of his glasses. Bella instantly sat up straighter in her chair, duly chastised. Edward, leaned back in his chair, stretching his long legs out until they reached under the chair of the desk in front of him, clearly not worried about showing disrespect to the notoriously unforgiving teacher.

"Then you go ahead and make a mark next to Edward Cullen in your little book, John." The whole class gasped at Edward's use of their teacher's first name.

"That's it!" Mr. Simser, bellowed. His large cheeks flamed in anger. "Detention for the rest of the week!"

"Oh, I don't think you want to do that." Edward looked up at the fuming man through half-lidded eyes.

"And just why wouldn't I? You entitled little-"

"Because I don't think _Leslie_ would approve. In fact I'm guessing that the school board and the local authorities would have quite a bit to say about your _little friend_." Devilward had barely finished speaking before the teacher's eyes widened almost to the point of looking like a cartoon character's eyes after being hit in the foot with an anvil. A fine sheet of sweat appeared on his face as he staggered back to lean against the nearest wall. Bella half worried that the man was having a heart attack.

"How could you know-What-why would you say that?" Mr. Simser stuttered, his usually beady eyes wide with what could only be described as fright. Bella and the rest of the class looked on in confusion. They'd never seen expressions of anything but arrogance or meanness on the big man's face.

"I know a lot about what people do in this town." Devilward answered smugly, he was clearly enjoying the show.

"This is study hall. Get to studying!" Mr. Simser yelled as he hurried out of the classroom door. The door slamming loudly behind him as he fled.

"What the hell just happened?" Tyler Crowley asked.

"Holy hell, I thought for sure he was having the big one!" Mike Newton exclaimed. Mimicking the way Mr. Simser had grabbed his chest when Edward had mentioned the name Leslie.

The students chatted loudly as they tried to guess what was going on.

" _Lost love that broke his heart?"_

" _Illegitimate child?"_

" _A deformed twin he keeps locked in the basement?"_

Their guesses grew more and more ridiculous. Yet, Edward's statement was obviously alluding to something that the teacher was afraid of.

"Cullen, I don't know what any of that meant, but damn, that was awesome!" Devilward grinned slyly at Felix's remark. He was clearly enjoying the attention.

"Edward, what _did_ your remark mean?" Bella asked, leaning over from her desk so the other students wouldn't overhear her. She'd never seen her teacher in such a state. Mr. Simser had been clearly scared and worried about whatever Edward had been referencing.

Edward moved in his chair mimicking her position. He leaned close to her ear. Bella suppressed a shiver of thrill at his closeness. Regardless of whatever weirdness Edward was putting out, she'd never be able to deny that his closeness elicited desire in her.

"If you expect me to reveal all of my secrets, I'm going to need a little incentive." Before she could ask what he meant, he captured her mouth in a bruising kiss. Her confusion and embarrassment bubbled to a simmer.

"Wooohooo, way to go Cullen!"

"I didn't know you had it in you Swan!"

Bella tried to pull back from his hold as her classmate's jeers reached her ears, but Devilward pulled her back in for another kiss before letting her go. He acquiesced to her wish, but made certain that she understood it was his decision to end their kiss, not hers.

Bella sat stunned at her desk with swollen lips and a look of bewilderment and anger on her face.

~~~TDP~~~

In the locked prison of his own mind Edward screams for his love to heed his warning, _"No, Bella! You have to resist! Please!" "No, no, no!"_ His voice hoarse from his exertion, echoes around him. He's been fighting the fog to get to Bella for days but Satan has been able to keep his voice silent. The thick fog that has been surrounding him is relentless in its attempts to keep him silent. Yet, even though his voice has been taken from him, his vision is still clear. And through eyes that he no longer controls, he's seen what the Devil means to do and he has heard his plan. Depressed, and losing hope, Edward continues to fight. He knows that he has to find a way to stop The Devil's Plan. His only hope is that the brown haired girl that has his heart will listen. 

* * *

We're moving forward.

Until next time,

ruinedbyrob


	33. Chapter 33

I want to give my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to everyone that has been sticking with me as I battle through RL issues while trying to keep up with my writing. I especially want to give a HUGE shout out of appreciation and love to my pre-reader, SazzleDazzled and my beta, EdwardsFirstKiss for taking the time to work their magic on this chapter while dealing with their own RL issues.

I firmly believe that it takes a village of support to produce the amazing quality of fanfiction this fandom enjoys. I have the best supporters of all the villages and I appreciate you all!

Disclaimer: SM owns the Twilight world but I own this small part of the underworld.

* * *

 **The Devil's Plan**

 **Chapter 33**

 _ **Quick recap** : Devilward began asserting his presence in school and home. Many have noticed a distinct change in Edward's (not really Edward) attitude, including the teachers at the school, Bella, Emmett and Kodi. Due to the little pills that Astarte is feeding him, Devilward has been successful at keeping Edward's influence at bay. Bella has found her mother's journal and thinks she's discovered more information that points to a nefarious outside influence that has befallen her family for a centuries. Bella is skeptical of Edward's new attitude, but can't deny that she's happy with his change in the way he treats her. - On with the show!  
_

"How was school?" Bella threw down her backpack and headed straight past her questioning father, to the refrigerator. She grabbed a bottle of water, twisted off the cap and drained half of the contents in one long swig as if she were drinking a cold beer on a hot summer day. Charlie watched in half amusement and half worry at his daughter's achievement.

Bella pulled out the chair across from her father and plopped down with a heavy sigh.

"That good, huh?"

"It was-weird" Her eyes flashed up to meet her father's briefly before refocusing on her water. The recyclable plastic bottle crinkled and popped in her hands as she waited for him to ask her what she meant. She needed him to ask the question. Bella hoped that her dad's black and white way of seeing the world would lend a little guidance.

Charlie smiled and took the bait. "Weird how?"

It took only minutes for Bella to spill her guts. Edward's new arrogant attitude, his apologies, the way Mr. Simser had acted when Edward taunted him, she wisely left out his new propensity for PDA.

Charlie took in what she said with thoughtful eyes, a few head nods and a moustache rub for good measure. Edward's new attitude was troubling. It was rarely a good thing when a seemingly mild-mannered young man suddenly flipped personalities, nor was it a good thing when students started threatening their teachers, even one that, in his opinion, deserved a taste of his own medicine.

Bella watched her father's face and waited for his sage advice. "Dad!" She demanded his answer.

"Okay," He said raising his hands in submission. "First, I don't think there's anything too weird here. From what I know of Edward, he appears to be bullied a bit by his brother. It's not unrealistic to think that the boy finally snapped and strengthened his backbone. Threatening a teacher is never okay," he said with a stern look that his daughter rolled her eyes at. "I'll speak to Simser and find out what happened" And as to the apologies, I'm assuming that you were due them?" Bella nodded.

"Well that doesn't seem too weird. I think you need to just-" A knocking at the front door interrupted him. "Hold that thought." Charlie said, getting up from the table and walking to the door.

Bella could hear her father talking to the visitor but instead of wondering who was there, she pondered what Charlie had said. Maybe she had been too rough on Edward, he had apologized and didn't Mr. Simser kind of deserve to be on the other side of the bully stick? But she still had a nagging thought that something wasn't right.

"Who do you know from St. Joseph's church?" Bella's eyes widened at his question. She hadn't told him about contacting the church she'd found in her mother's journal. She jumped as several envelopes dropped in front of her, it was the one still gripped tightly in her father's hand that was the root of his pointed question. "Bella, I asked you a question." Charlie asked sternly.

"Dad, I-"

"-You promised. You _promised_ that you wouldn't go crazy if I gave you that damn book. I should have known better. It made your mother crazy, she left us because of it."

"Dad, it's not the bible. I, I found one of mom's journals. She'd written in it around the time she disappeared."

Charlie sat down into his previously abandoned chair. His shoulders were slumped and his face was lax.

" _Left."_ He uttered quietly. "She _left_ us. She didn't disappear in a puff of smoke. She chose to leave."

"Dad, what if she didn't?"

"Why are you doing this? Why?" His voice was hoarse. He was clearly upset and that knowledge broke Bella's heart, but she was determined to move forward

"Just wait here." Bella got up and went to her room, retrieving the journal and bringing it down to her dad.

"I don't want to upset you. That's not what this is about. But you need to know what I've found." She set the journal down on the table and pushed it towards her father. Charlie, stared at the notebook, his hands shook as they hovered over the cover. Bella watched her father's eyes with trepidation as he began reading his wife's words. His eyes misted over as he read about her love for their family and then his head shook in disbelief when he got to the part where she described her fear that some unknown figure had been targeting her family for generations.

Charlie dropped his hands to the table top with a thud, fixing his daughter with a harsh glare. "This is the nonsense I was telling you about," he said loudly. "I told you she was obsessed with this crap. Tell me you don't believe this!"

"Dad, keep reading," Bella said insistently. "There's more, please."

Charlie, shook his head and all but glared at his daughter. She refused to allow this to drop. He realized that he was actually resenting his only child. But the scab she kept picking at was still very painful to him.

"Bella-"

"Dad you have to keep reading."

"Fine, but I can't do it stone cold, sober." Charlie picked up the journal and walked out of the kitchen. He wasn't opposed to drinking a beer or two in front of his daughter, but for this he was going to need something much harder than a can of Vitamin R. He'd need whiskey and he needed to be alone.

Bella watched her father leave and noticed the slump in his shoulders. The knowledge that she'd done that to him didn't sit well with her, but she needed her father on her side, or at least to understand why she needed to keep pushing forward. With a sigh, her eyes landed on the envelope Charlie had tossed onto the table.

Bella closed her eyes, took a deep breath and with a shaky hand, reached for the envelope from the church and opened it, muttering a quick prayer that it held the answers she was searching for. The St. Joseph's logo was emblazoned in dark letters in the upper left corner of the otherwise start paper.

Bella scanned the letter;

 _Dear Isabella;_

 _It is with a heavy heart that I must inform you that Father Augustus, left this world to enter the home of our heavenly father three years ago. As you stated in your letter, you were already aware of Father Ignatius's disappearance eighteen years earlier. We pray for his deliverance daily but other than that, I can offer you no information on his current whereabouts._

 _I have fond memories of Father Ignatius. He was a gentle man and kind soul. I was an altar boy around the timeframe that you reference. I remember that Father Ignatius became quite restless during that time and would often speak of the Devil hiding in plain sight. His teachings became quite dark and served to make myself and the rest of my class to pay special attention to our studies and strengthened our conviction to stay on the right side of our Lord. It was his passion that led me to join the order and dedicate my life to the Lord and his children._

 _I regret that I could not give you better news. If you should ever need my services, don't hesitate to come to St. Joseph's for counsel. You are too young to be seeing the Devil in the shadows when there is nothing but earthly darkness._

 _God bless._

 _Your Servant,_

 _Father Marcus Accardi_

The letter floated from Bella's grasp to land softly on the table top, followed by her bowed head. While she didn't think that she would be given answers to all of her questions, she'd held out hope that there would be something. Both priests that her mother had spoken to were gone. One deceased and the other…just gone. As was the optimism she'd held onto when she'd sent the letter.

"I've gained nothing." She whispered to the empty room. "Nothing!" Bella plucked the letter off the table and angrily crushed it in her hands while tears of frustration rolled down her cheeks. What was she to do now? She had no more avenues to explore. Bella's body began to shake. She crumpled to the floor, as the day's events settled heavily onto her already burdened shoulders.

The days after receiving the letter from Father Accardi, had been difficult for Bella. Charlie had reappeared in the kitchen just as she'd forced the balled-up paper into the pocket of her jeans. She'd hastily wiped away the lingering evidence of her tears just has her father had come into view. He mistakenly thought that their argument had been the cause of her tears. He'd taken her into his arms apologizing for upsetting her and promising not to raise his voice at her again. Bella had allowed him to take the blame, and had shed more tears in her father's embrace. Exhausted, she'd also apologized for not coming to him when she'd found the journals. Once the apologies were done, Charlie sat down and with a heavy heart, told his daughter that reading the journals had done nothing but reaffirm his previous conviction, Renee been carried away by a bunch of rantings by unstable ancestors and had allowed those rantings to cloud her judgment. He still believed she left on her own accord. Bella had nodded solemnly at his words. She had no other proof to give him.

"Bella, I think it's probably best if you stop looking into this. There's nothing here, honey. And I'm afraid that if you keep pushing this, you're going to..." his voice faltered as he tried to find the words to say he was afraid that she was going to become as crazed as her mother without offending her.

"You're afraid I'm going to go crazy." Bella filled in the silence.

"Let's not use that word. But yes, I'm afraid you're going to get caught up in this just like Renee did."

"And nothing you read has you asking questions? You didn't see anything that gives you pause?"

Charlie sighed and closed his eyes in thought. "Sweetheart, I do have questions. But they're still the same ones I've always had. Nothing I read in your mom's journal has changed my mind."

"Okay." Bella announced as she pushed off from the table and got up to leave the room.

"Okay? That's all you have to say?" Charlie asked skeptically.

"Dad, I'm tired of trying to get anyone to believe me. I'm tired of searching and coming up with nothing. I'm…I'm just tired." Charlie could hear the exhaustion in her voice, but there was something else too. Despair? He made a mental note to speak to Dr. Cullen about getting a reference for a therapist. Something had caused Renee to act so irrationally. Maybe it was something hereditary? He'd not been smart enough to get Renee help when she clearly needed it. But he'd not fail his daughter.

He watched as she slowly walked out of the kitchen and headed for the stairs.

"I won't fail her." He promised himself.

Bella took her mother's journal, family bible and Father Marcus's letter, and put them on her bookshelf, determined to take a break. She needed to take a step back. The discovery of her mother's journal had originally made her optimistic. That optimism was now gone.

~~TDP~~

While Bella pushed ahead and looked towards the future, the rest of the characters in her story were focused on the present and how to use it to ensure the future they desired.

"Do you believe he's noticed a difference?" Ba'al asked quietly as he and Astarte walked down the crowded hallway towards the school parking lot.

"I don't know. He hasn't said anything, but then he seems to have leveled out a bit. He may not even need them." Ba'al considered her answer with a touch of unease.

"That means that the boy has stopped fighting." Ba'al grabbed Astarte's arm and tugged her into the corner of the building, away from their classmates. "We need Edward to fight. He has to continue pushing or we won't be able to push _him_ over the edge."

Astarte pulled her arm from his grasp. "What do you expect me to do? I counselled him about the girl and now they seem fine. I've been giving him baby aspirin instead of muscle relaxers, I've kept Emmett from pushing him, all while keeping up this farce of a life!"

Ba'al regarded her thoughtfully. "Then we must stir up some trouble between him and the girl. Edward seems to fight the most when she is involved. But how do we do that without arousing suspicion?" Astarte gave him a blank stare and a shoulder shrug.

"We'll have to come up with something. The full moon is less than a month away."

~~TDP~~

"You've gathered quite a following." Bella commented, nodding in the direction of the gaggle of freshman and sophomore girls gathered in the corner with their eyes set on the handsome boy leaning against her locker.

Devilward cast a casual look towards the giggling girls and gifted them with a grin. The girl's tittering got louder as they passed the lockers before wandering towards their next class. Bella rolled her eyes as they passed.

"Do not worry, you are the only prize I seek." Devilward assured her before leaning down to capture her lips in a possessive kiss that had her toes curling inside her shoes.

"Gah! Why do you do that when we still have classes to attend?" She'd become quite fond of Edward's new fondness for kissing in the hallways, but he always seemed to get her worked up when he couldn't finish what he'd started.

Devilward chuckled at her flushed cheeks. Only a few weeks ago he'd been prepared to press his advantage when suddenly Bella's demeanor had changed. She'd become less insistent to disagree with him and now accepted his advances quite easily. This change of events allowed him to work her up slowly to his ultimate goal. He'd also found his new role as King of Forks High School quite satisfying. His new admirer's aside, he'd also gained the admiration or rather the respect of the rest of the school. Emmett still fought against him but he was now alone in that regard. It tickled the King of Hell's funny bone that the ultimate jock of the school was now having to watch his little brother take his spot in the school's hierarchy.

"Your jealousy brings a fetching blush to your cheeks." These little endearments now fell easily from his smirking lips. He'd discovered as Astarte had promised, these earth females believed anything that was said in an alluring tone, especially when coupled with a hooded stare or a tilt of the lips. He had to stop himself from laughing each time a female fell for it.

Bella's blush increased as she pulled him towards their class. He followed along behind her admiring the view.

~~TDP~~

"Mom, I'm telling you something is not right with that kid. He saunters through the halls at school like he owns the place. He has the teachers avoiding him and all of the girls are panting after him like he's some kind of god. " Esme sighed loudly at her eldest son's newest complaint. If she hadn't also noticed some unbecoming changes in Edward's behavior, she'd dismiss his gripes completely. Instead she needed to halt the escalation of Emmett's new battle and try to figure out her youngest son later.

"Look, he's been through a lot, before he was too quiet, too shy and willing to take grief from everyone. Now he's fighting back, there's a little swagger back in his step, I think he's just trying to find himself again. I want you to cut him some slack."

Emmett's eyebrows went up. " 'Cut him some slack'? Do you even hear yourself?" He mocked with quote fingers.

"Emmett…" Esme warned.

"Whatever. Fine. So he's found his balls again. Great. How do you explain the way he treats Kodi?" He asked with bubbling anger. His mother wearily shrugged her shoulders. "Fine you stick your head in the sand, but I'm going to figure out what's going on!" Emmett pushed back from the table and stomped up the stairs.

"When will all this end?" Esme asked the large brown puff ball laying at her feet. Smiling, she leaned down to scratch his soft ears. "What is Edward doing to you?" Esme frowned as the puppy began to whine when she said her son's name. She knew that the puppy had become her shadow and wasn't sleeping in Edward's room anymore. She'd put his new found need to be with her all of the time down to the fact that with the boys back in school she and Kodi had been spending a lot more time together. "I honestly don't know what to do." Esme exclaimed, before falling into the nearest chair. "We're falling apart and I don't know what to do." She repeated with a sad sigh. Kodi got up and set his head on his mom's knee. With his large soulful eyes, he tried to tell her that the big boy was correct. Something was wrong with _his_ boy. He didn't smell right. And that there was a darkness to his energy that hadn't been there before, but his mom didn't seem to understand him.

"You're such a sweetie. Let's go get you a cookie." Kodi watched in sadness as Esme gently pushed his head off her knee and walked over to his treat box. He'd have to keep trying to get through to her, but for now he'd continue to guard his family as well as he could. He'd also need to keep his strength up. He waddled after her and accepted his treat.

~~TDP~~

 _I hate that he's speaking to her._

 _I hate that he's touching her._

 _I hate that she seems to enjoy his attentions._

 _I HATE that she can't tell it's not me!_

 _I don't know what to do to stop him!_

Edward was seething. Watching his Bella smile, laugh and return Satan's attentions was killing him. He'd all but given up trying to keep the Devil away from his beloved. Somehow the Devil had successfully ignored his screaming. Edward was at his wit's end. He'd been unable to break through the fog that was constantly surrounding him and he'd begun to feel more and more as if he were losing his place in his own life. He felt that slowly the pieces of him that had hung on after he'd given into the Devil's promises of relief, were disappearing. Now, he was watching Satan's grip around Bella tighten without having any recourse. Depressed and saddened beyond belief Edward screamed his anger out into the darkness that surrounded him.

Almost instantly he heard a loud "FUCK!" and felt a shudder run through his body. Edward lifted his head, did Satan hear him? Was he once again able to effect the Devil?

With renewed purpose, Edward opened his mouth and screamed again.

Nothing.

He tried again.

Nothing.

Had he actually been able to effect Satan? Edward struggled with the feeling that he was fighting against an unmovable foe. He cleared his mind of everything but the thought of holding Bella in his arms again and screamed for all he was worth.

"Son of a shepherd's whore! Astarte, get in here! Something is wrong!"

Suddenly, Edward's heart soared with hope.

* * *

Okay folks, things are going to get more complicated but should begin to wrap up. Please don't give up on me!

-ruinedbyrob


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